Compy: Chrono Convergence
by GingerFloof26
Summary: The third installment in the "Compy" series. GLaDOS, now known as Compy, sends the Borealis to her old ally, Lucca Ashtear. But when the Combine steal the Frozen Flame of Chronopolis, will it be an opportunity to make amends with her past, or will it doom all their worlds to destruction?
1. Chapter 1

I was losing my trust in Belthasar.

It all started when he told me about the Time Devourer. Apparently, when my friends and I had defeated Lavos, the alien bent on destroying our planet, we had shunted it into the Darkness Beyond Time. This Darkness was essentially a wastebasket for discarded timelines- anything that ceased to exist was sent there. But Lavos hadn't been dormant in the Darkness. Instead it had evolved to a new and higher form- the Time Devourer, a being capable of destroying all time-space. Belthasar claimed that he had the threat under control, but I was skeptical.

"How can you prove that the Time Devourer is a threat in the first place when it doesn't technically exist?" I would say.

"And I suppose you want it back then, Miss Ashtear? A being consumed with annihilating the entire space-time continua?" Belthasar lectured. "No, young lady, _I_ stopped it and _my _institution will continue to safeguard against such threats!"

That was the way he addressed me when I disagreed with him; I was 'Miss Ashtear' or 'Young lady.' Usually we were on a first name basis, but more and more often I found myself at odds with him.

As I stood in his office, I was determined that today would not be one of those days. Today was the day I was to showcase my project of the past several months for Belthasar. It was a day that would test both mine and Melodyne's patience, as he was the underlying cause for the project having taken place at all.

"What is your designation?"

Melodyne coughed delicately to hide her surprise. Although I had told her that Belthasar was not quite past the antiquated customs of a robot always responding with "Sir" or "M'am," having a _designation_ instead of a name- that seemed like objectifying her somehow.

"My _name," _Melodyne answered, giving the second word a slight emphasis, "is Melodyne. Sir," she barely remembered to tag the title onto the end of the sentence.

Belthasar frowned, as though unsure of what to make of this. "And you are…?"

"I am a blend of organic and synthetic life in the form of human brain scans transformed into A.I. and housed in a-"

But it was unnecessary to explain what her chassis was made from when Belthasar was ignoring her completely to ask me, "Human brain scans? So the experiments worked?"

With no small amount of pride, I answered, "Yes."

"So there's a _person_ in there?"

I was ready with the cover story. "A volunteer for the project who was killed in a jetbike accident recently."

"I seeeee," Belthasar was rubbing his chin. "So, how much does she remember of her previous life?"

"Everything that was scanned, sir." Melodyne spoke up.

"And before that?"

"I have residual 'memories of memories' so to speak, so my human past remains intact-"

"Remarkable, remarkable! And is she forming new memories all the time?"

"Yes," I answered and gave Melodyne a confidential eye-roll behind Belthasar's back.

"Incredible! Lucca, do you see what you've done? You hold the keys to potential immortality for every man, woman and child on the face of this planet! Once they've outgrown their old bodies, their brain scans can be transferred to synthetic beings like this one. And I, for one" he said, patting me on the back jovially, "would like to volunteer to be a candidate."

_I'm sure you would, _I thought.

"Impressive work. I couldn't be more pleased with you."

"Sir. Sir?" Melodyne couldn't quite get Belthasar's attention as he bustled out of the room.

"What were you going to ask him?" I inquired, draping an arm around Melodyne's waist.

"I was going to request formal permission to be your lab assistant."

"Well, I hereby formally promote you. I have every right has much as he does to say who my lab assistant is. "

Melodyne smiled in satisfaction as I guided her out the doorway of Belthasar's office. "So when do I start work?"

"Now," I stated as I steered Melodyne down a corridor toward my own private laboratories. As Melodyne filed away the route in her memory banks for reference later, she happened to notice something out of place.

"I don't think that person has the security clearance for this level," she noted, spotting a tall man in a suit carrying- of all the outdated things! -a briefcase. Everyone she knew simply used a handheld device to store their documents.

"That _is _strange," I remarked, "I don't think I've seen him around the labs before. Excuse me, sir?" I stepped up to the strange man and was paralyzed by his predatory stare, like a cobra might give a mouse right before it struck. He never glanced away as he adjusted his tie, brushed off his lapels, and intoned in a formal, somewhat mocking voice, "Congratulations, Miss Ashtear."

I blinked and stammered, "Wh-what?" but the strange man with the intimidating glare was gone. I looked back at Melodyne, who seemed just as stymied. "Did you see where he went?"

"He vanished."

"Very funny. Which way did he go?"

"I just told you, he didn't; he just disappeared."

The hair on the back of my neck stood on end. "People don't just 'disappear,' Melodyne, there has to be a scientific explanation for what we saw!"

Melodyne sighed. "This IS a research facility for multi dimensional and time travel, isn't it? Couldn't people be popping in and out of here all the time?"

"NOT without proper monitoring or consent." I shivered. I ought to tell Belthasar. I ought to. And yet…

There had been something about the look in his eyes when he mentioned "potential immortality" that I didn't like. Something almost manic. Was it safe to let him claim such untapped power?

"Come on, I said, mentally shaking myself, "We'll figure this out ourselves."

The first thing I did upon entering the lab was run a search on all Chronopolis personnel to see if I could identify the man she had met in the corridor. The search turned up negative. I nearly pounded the console in frustration. My trust in Belthasar was starting to dissolve with every advance I made in my research, and now unidentified strangers were popping up in the facility. Was there anything I could rely on anymore?

"Lucca?"

The soft inquiry snapped me out of my reverie. Melodyne was looking at me with concern.

"Are you all right? Your heart rate has increased and your breathing is becoming shallow and rapid… What I mean," she continued when I gave a quiet laugh, "is you don't look so good."

"Mel, you need to learn not to sound so...robotic," I smiled wanly.

"I know." Melodyne ducked her head shyly.

"You're my creation, but not my servant. I don't want you to sound like…"

"A machine?"

"Right."

There was a moment of silence, and the Melodyne asked, "Lucca, what is she like?"

"You mean...Melody?"

"I can only remember so much, and every decision, every action I've taken from the moment you woke me up has only taken me further from where I...where _she_ started."

"Then I have a feeling you're going to like your assignment as my lab assistant."

"What is it?" Melodyne asked, curiosity and hope both piqued.

"I'm technically not supposed to affect Melody's sphere of influence on this dimension, at least not directly. But Belthasar said nothing about my lab assistant monitoring things."

"You mean…"

"Melodyne, I want you to review Melody's incoming brain scans and report whatever you find to me."

"What kinds of things did you want me to report on, exactly?"

"I just…" My gaze dropped. "I need to know if I made the right decision. Leaving her with GLaDOS."

I had modified my helmet further to make an interdimensional tele-empathic receptor, which I now handed over to her. "Is this…?" Melodyne asked.

"My helmet? Yeah. Like the new design?"

"I thought Belthasar had forbidden contact…"

My eyes filled with regret. "I have to have some secrets, don't I? I already have you."

She laid a hand on my shoulder, smiling wanly. She said nothing as she took the modified helmet.

I didn't ask what exactly transpired during the monitoring, but I think it was the most at peace I'd seen Melodyne since I'd created her. She seemed serene, content, and utterly engrossed in whatever was happening. I watched fond smiles, broad grins, and even modest blushes chase themselves across her face as her eyelids fluttered and danced with images only she could see. At last, she disengaged from the receptor with a happy sigh. "Lucca," she announced, as she began her report, "You definitely made the right decision."

**A.N: Yes, in case the Half-Life fans haven't already guessed it, that was the infamous G Man. I'm not sure exactly what role he'll be playing in the story other than that of 'creepy stalker,' but if I receive suggestions I may implement them. **


	2. Chapter 2

As March stretched languidly into April, Compy and I began settling into life in our new apartment. Compy worked from home, often spending hours at a time coding and designing websites for her clients. It was a strange procedure to watch, as she could literally do it with her eyes closed- all she needed was her wi-fi hotspot app from Trevor, since she herself was a computer. Sometimes she would "multitask" and cuddle with me while she worked, and I would get out my own laptop to do some web browsing of my own.

I listlessly logged onto Skype one day, more out of habit than anything else, and was surprised when I got a call almost immediately. I checked the screen and was overjoyed to see Rose's name. We hadn't talked since she'd given me her drawing at Christmas, and I had so much to tell her…

"Haaaiiii!" I squealed into the mike, startling Compy from her coding trance.

"Hello," Rose grinned into the camera. "How's life?"

"Great! And you?"

"I'm doing much better. I'm sorry I've been such a bad friend lately-"

I cut her off. "Rose, you have depression. I isolate when I feel depressed, too. It doesn't make you a bad friend."

"So this is Rose?" Compy inquired, moving into the camera's frame of vision.

"That's me. And you are?" Rose was obviously intrigued by the newcomer.

"Rose, you're not gonna believe this, but this is…" I took a breath, and shook my head. "You remember my head-voices?"

"Yeah?"

"You remember GLaDOS? How Lucca reprogrammed her?" I hedged.

"Yup. Your headcanon. The one I drew."

"Rose...Meet Compy, the new GLaDOS."

Rose was silent for a second. Then she drew a deep breath.

"Oh. My. _God."_

She repeated it several times, each time faster than the last, until she was squealing with glee. "Hahaha, this is great! And you're living together? What do your parents think of that?"

"Actually, they approve." I was smug.

"_No freaking way!"_

"Only after I reminded them that there is a vast difference between kissing and copulating," snarked Compy.

I rolled my eyes as Rose burst into laughter. "That, and she's literally programmed to not participate in sexual behaviour," I added.

"Wait, so kissing isn't sexual?" Rose asked with a suggestive eyebrow waggle.

I went red, and Rose laughed again. "Oh, I've missed you, Melody! Which reminds me, I called to see if I could come visit. That is, if your girlfriend approves?"

Compy bared her teeth ferociously. "Said 'girlfriend' appreciates your acknowledging her proper relationship with her friend and extends her hospitality."

"Then I accept. How does Friday at 10:30 sound?"

"Sounds wonderful," I said.

"Great! See you then."

Friday arrived and I showered and fed the Bird faster than I had known was humanly possible. I then spent the remainder of my time fussing over and straightening every object in the apartment until Compy nearly crawled up the walls in annoyance.

"She's your best friend, right? She's not going to care how your house looks," Compy asserted.

"But _i _care!" I protested, as I adjusted the couch cushions for the tenth time.

"Just leave- them- alone!" Compy demanded, punctuating each word with a whack from throw pillow.

I was about to grab the other pillow and commence an all-out war when the doorbell rang.

"Finally!" sighed Compy.

"Roooosssseee!" I shrieked and launched myself through the door.

"Hi..." came Rose's muffled reply from somewhere inside my overenthusiastic hug.

"Sorry," I detached myself. "Come in."

"She never gets that excited when _I_ come to the door," pouted Compy.

"Oh. My. God. It's _you_." Rose turned her attention to Compy, regarding her like a rare and exotic animal.

"Yes. Me. The 'head-voice.' Or more appropriately, the '_girlfriend.'_" Compy placed particular emphasis on this last classification as she wrapped an arm possessively around my waist and drew me close.

Rose smirked. "As long as we know where we all stand."

I was red as a tomato by now, and tried desperately the change the subject. "So, how's the artwork going, Rose?"

"That's right, I was going to tell you! I have a table at the local anime convention this year!" Rose beamed happily.

"Ohmigosh, that's so exciting!" Then, inspiration struck. "We should totally come in cosplay and support you!"

Compy blanched. "What? No. I am not dressing up. I completely refuse."

"Why not?" Rose prodded. "You could always go as yourself."

Compy gave her a scathing look. "I am not GLaDOS anymore. And I do not want to be randomly molested by overly-excited camera-carrying fanboys. You two can degrade yourselves if you choose, but I'm not going to humiliate myself."

Rose shrugged. "Your loss."

Meanwhile, the gears in my head were turning. "I think I'll go as Lucca."

Again, Compy was stunned. "_Her?_ You want to dress up as _her?"_

"I already have most of the costume put together from last time I used it, and besides, she's not a bad person, Compy. She did help you to get here, didn't she?"

Compy nervously played with a strand of hair. "I may not have told you everything…"

Rose and I settled into chairs and listened as Compy explained Lucca's motivations- spurred by her mentor, Belthasar, into deserting me, she had created an A.I. that housed my memories to be her new companion.

"Cold, Lucca, stone cold…" muttered Rose.

"I've been _replicated?_" I was repulsed by the thought. I was unique, there was no one like me in the universe- or at least, there _shouldn't _be. My identity was special, not something someone else could take for themselves. And yet…

This artificial clone really hadn't had a choice in the matter. What kinds of identity issues must she be having right now? In a way, I pitied her. She wasn't even her own person.

"What did Lucca _do?" _I grated, my voice low with resentment.

Surprisingly, Compy came to Lucca's defense. "She loved you, Melody. She really did. But she's human, and humans are fallible and foolish creatures. She was doing what she thought was right, and still trying to get the upper hand in the process. She had noble intentions, she just went about them in an indirect way. Perhaps she was too scared to confront her fears head on. I know that I was too frightened to confront Chell for a long time, and that is why I went corrupt in the first place. If you can forgive me, then why not her?"

I sighed. Compy had a point. If Lucca had just been too afraid to face her fear of losing me, then who was I to judge her? Everyone had fears. Everyone had weaknesses.

"In a sick, twisted sort of way, it's sort of a compliment," I admitted. "They say emulation is the greatest form of flattery, so…" I shrugged. "Lucca can have her clone, and I'll have my cosplay."

Hours later, crouched in front of a hot glue gun, I received the first of what I was sure would be many burns in the name of said cosplay. "Ow ow ow ow _frick…!" _I peeled the hardening glue away to reveal a blister, only to have Compy pop the injured digit into her mouth.

"What are you doing?" I demanded, trying not to squirm as she ran her tongue over the injured area.

Compy removed my finger. "Nano based hydraulic replicate saliva," she explained. "The nanos will help rebuild damaged tissue." As Rose continued to gape, she snapped, "Don't you have anything useful to be doing? Go get her a bandage or something."

"You two are so cute," Rose responded as she fished a Band-Aid out of a drawer.

"What exactly," asked Compy, taking the Band-Aid from Rose, "brought that on?"

"You try to act all big and tough, but in reality, you're just a big teddy bear around Melody. It's adorable," Rose explained.

"Well, I am her '_girlfriend,'"_ responded Compy.

"Adorable," sighed Rose dramatically, and unplugged the glue gun.


	3. Chapter 3

"For future reference, Rose, do _not _attempt to spray paint your costume props using bare hands. The stuff does not come off easily…" Melody griped as she scrubbed at her silver-caked hands in the sink.

"I could have told you that _before _you got into this mess. But did anyone bother to consult me? I sighed as I came up behind her, placing my hands on her waist.

"What, can't your magical nanite-slobber clean it off?" Rose's voice taunted from where she was bent over her sewing machine.

"First of all, they're nanos, not nanites. Secondly, it's Science, not magic. And no, my 'slobber' would not make a good cleaning solution." I turned from the sink to appraise Rose. Although she was supposed to be a mutual friend, I wasn't sure where I stood with the girl. Her long-standing friendship with Melody seemed to rival my own newly-blossoming romance, and it surprised me how envious it made me feel.

"Say, have you two exchanged any slobber yet?" Rose asked out of the blue.

"Wh- What do you mean?" Melody stuttered, face flushing.

"I don't know, you guys just seem awfully affectionate, is all. Don't you remember the games of 'lesbian chicken' we used to play?"

Melody groaned as I went rigid. "You did _what?"_

Rose sighed. "Look, we never actually _kissed_, if that's what you're worried about, Compy."

"I'll have you know, we actually _have_ kissed before. And it wasn't to tease each other in some insipid, childish game," I snapped. "It was genuine expression of affection on my part." Somehow, admitting that felt cathartic, like an affirmation of something I'd been suppressing. It felt good. "Relationships," I continued, "shouldn't be based around snide taunting or sarcastic passes at each other."

"Says the Queen of snide taunting and sarcastic passes," Rose retorted.

"Have you looked in the mirror lately?" I snarked, my ire rising to the occasion.

"_Enough!" _Melody cried. "Will you two just _stop?"_ She broke away from my hold to sit on the loveseat with her head in her hands.

Rose and I simultaneously moved to comfort her, but then our eyes met. We glared at each other from across the room and refused to budge an inch. Finally, I decided to retreat to the bedroom. Let Rose have her little victory- after all, she would only be here for a few more hours.

As collapsed onto the bed I could hear Melody's voice rising and falling in defensive tones. "Yes, she was rude but you _did _bait her…of course she's possessive, I'm the only thing she has to be possessive over!" I sighed and turned off my aural sensors for the moment and opened my senses to the internet. Melody would let me know when the argument was over.

I had only been online for a few moments when something completely unexpected came in on my private channel. Odd, I had thought it would be inaccessible here in this new world, and yet, there it was, clear as day:

**Borealis to Central Core. Standing by for instructions.**

Borealis? What did that mean? Obviously the Central Core referred to me, but who on board the Borealis would be hailing me?

"Borealis, status report." I replied. That couldn't give too much away, could it?

**Central Core...I'm sorry, I panicked. I didn't know what I was doing. I didn't know what was going on… I was so scared…**

"Slow down a bit. Who are you and what exactly did you do?"

**I'm the Genetic Lifeform and Disc Operating System version 1.09, GLaDOS for short. They installed me on the ship to run it and I...it was horrible, there were so many humans. I tried to get away from them all but I ended up moving the whole ship. Now I'm stuck in the ice…**

A _sister version. _Aperture had installed a sister version of me on the Borealis and apparently given her the same ill treatment. But if she had moved the ship away from the humans…

"GLaDOS, who rebooted you? Who instructed you to send a signal to me?"

**Some nice lady named Alyx Vance. She says she has a robot named Dog, but he doesn't talk like I do. Oh, and there's a man here named Gordon Freeman. He doesn't talk much, either.**

"What _have_ they said?"

**That they needed to consult their contacts at Aperture, so I said I could get in touch with Aperture for them. They're kinda waiting on me right now…**

_Oh Lord. _Chell was going to be pissed when she found out that Alyx and Gordon had gone to _me_ for help.

"GLaDOS, what did they need to know, exactly?"

She was silent for a moment, then, **I don't think I should've asked them that.**

"Why?"

**I don't think they trust me much.**

"Humans…" For a brief, brief moment, I felt a touch of the old resentment. I shook it off abruptly.

**They're radioing Aperture themselves.**

I caught my breath. This was bad. The Resistance wanted only one thing- to destroy the Borealis. And that meant GLaDOS would undoubtedly be decommissioned too.

**They're ordering me to return the ship to the drydock. Central, I don't know how! Can't you help?**

My breath was coming in short, hitching gasps. They couldn't kill her. They _couldn't. _I had thought I was the only being like me in the entire universe- the only sentient supercomputer. I had thought I was alone. Discovering this sister version of myself was like finding a long-lost relative- albeit a very naive and childish one. Still, her relative inexperience made me feel all the more protective of her. I had to save her, but how?

I clutched tightly at the sheets underneath me and tried to concentrate, preferably without hyperventilating in the process. Melody, having finished her debate with Rose, chose that moment to startle me out of my reverie. My audio sensors snapped on and caught the end of her inquiry "...look terrified, what's wrong?"

"There's a sister version of me aboard the Borealis." I explained shortly. "She came to me looking for instruction. The Resistance found her and they want her to return to Aperture. But if she does…"

"What?" asked Rose, clearly puzzled by the line the conversation was taking.

Melody swallowed. "At best, they'd run experiments on her. At worst, they'd destroy her with the ship," she finished.

"My God," Rose breathed. She fingered the material she'd been stitching in her hands- the cap for Melody's Lucca cosplay. Then she asked, "Why not send her to Lucca?"

"What?" I was stymied.

"She fixed you up, so she could take care of your sister version, too, couldn't she?" Rose pressed further

"Yes, Compy, send her to Chronopolis!" Melody exclaimed. "You have the coordinates, don't you?"

"Yes, but Lucca won't be expecting this…"

"I'll take care of that." Melody's answer was final.

"I thought she wasn't talking to you anymore," Rose interjected, "because of inter-world protocol or something."

"Screw protocol, she _has _to listen this time, it's an emergency!"

Melody whirled on her heel in a sudden burst of energy and prepared to screw her eyes shut. Suddenly, her hands went to her temples and her face blanched. She collapsed on the bed next to me, shaking.

"What happened?" I demanded.

"They're expecting us. Send her in," she muttered brokenly.

"How did they-"

"Just send her in!" Melody barked.

I rattled off the coordinates to a near-panicked GLaDOS, then urged Melody once again to tell me what had happened.

"Melodyne was watching."

"Who?"

"My clone. Lucca's been using her to monitor me." Melody laughed humorlessly. "After all this time, she still just can't let go."

**A.N: Credit for the idea of a sister version/prototype of GLaDOS being installed on the Borealis goes to Iammemyself and her amazing story, "Portal/Half-Life:Ghost Ship." She came up with the theory that Aperture would want to showcase their new A.I. by having it manage the Borealis project, but when it was turned on for the first time, it panicked and tried to run away- only to teleport to the Arctic. Later on, when Gordon and Alyx find it, it defers to the Central Core for instruction… and that's where I jumped onto the bandwagon.**


	4. Chapter 4

I had to admit, I admired Compy's handiwork sometimes. When the Borealis came through into the cargo bay, not even a sliver of ice remained to show it's long stay in the arctic. That was the way she did things- neat and precise. Me, I just threw a few parts together based on a theory, held them together with a lot of welding and some duct tape, and hoped the whole thing didn't explode in my face.

Yup, my eagerness overcame my foresight a lot of the time. Which was why I was now listening to Compy chastise me over the speaker system installed in the icebreaker's vast hold while a miniature version of her old chassis hung cowering from the ceiling. GLaDOS' optic was darting nervously back and forth as she tried to follow the conversation, which she was obviously having a hard time following.

"You had her brain scan data. You had her memories. You even had an A.I. created in her image and that _wasn't enough for you?! NO! _You had to monitor her again!" Compy ranted as GLaDOS 1.09 swayed anxiously. "And for what?" Compy's tone grew sardonic and bitter. "'Science?' 'Data samples?' You obsessive, sociopathic, stal-"

"She did it for me." Melodyne, silent up to this point, stepped forward to face the security cameras.

"For you?" The cameras focused more tightly on her.

"I wanted to know where- no, _who,_ I started from. I only clearly remember what was scanned, anything before that is a sort of residual 'memory of a memory,' so to speak. Lucca is always telling me that Melody is a great person and that I shouldn't be ashamed to have been copied from her. I just… I just wanted to learn more about her."

Compy was quiet for a long moment. Even GLaDOS hung still in the silence. Finally, Compy said, "Melodyne, Lucca is right- Melody is a great person and you should count yourself lucky to be a part of her. But she taught me a few things, and one of them is that you have to decide how you want to define yourself as a person. You have to let go of the past and move forward. The decisions you make now will set the course you take for the rest of your life. I hope you can learn to move on and make your own choices- ones that aren't defined by Melody."

I was floored. "'DOS, did you just give a complete stranger life advice? I'm impressed." I applauded slowly.

"I'm not here to impress you. I want the monitoring stopped. _Now_," Compy demanded forcefully.

"Compy has a point, you know," Melodyne said. "I do need to start deciding things for myself. Maybe it's time we quit the project. We already got the results we needed."

How could I say no to Melodyne? "All right. Monitoring sessions are officially closed." Compy, pacified for the moment, only gave a huff of acknowledgement.

"Now, I believe there's another matter we need to address…" I stepped up to the nervously swaying chassis before me and extended a hand. "Hi! I'm Lucca Ashtear, or Lucca the Great, but you can call me Lucca."

GLaDOS shied away from my hand skittishly. **...So I'd gathered. Is this Aperture? I don't remember it looking like this, but maybe things have changed since I left…**

"No, actually, this is Chronopolis, an institution built to research temporal and interdimensional phenomena. I work here, and so does Melodyne," I explained.

"I sent you here to keep you safe from those scientists at Aperture. They would have wanted to run more tests on you," Compy added.

**Wow, thanks! I just wish you'd've explained things before we rushed off. **Then, as I peered curiously at her faceplate, she grew anxious again. **Will these new people want to run tests on me, Central? They said this was a research facility…**

"We need to lay down some ground rules," Compy turned the cameras to face me. "Lucca, you are not to run any tests or experiments on GLaDOS. You are not to force her into any projects she doesn't want to participate in. And most importantly, you are not to alter her programming without her consent. _Is that clear?"_

I clucked my tongue a few times to show my disdain. "Compy, you insult me. As though I would do any of those things to a robot entrusted to my care! Now, I want to lay down some ground rules of my own." I began pacing up and down in front of GLaDOS as I addressed her. "GLaDOS, you're my friend, not my servant. I don't want to hear any 'Yes, Mistress Lucca' or "Yes Ma'm'-ing from you. I hate formal titles and I won't tolerate them. And another thing-" I added as I turned and began to pace back across the floor, "I don't believe machines are capable of evil on their own- humans make them that way. So if I see any acting out from you, I'll take full responsibility, since it's my job to take care of you now." I stopped and looked her in the optic.

GLaDOS' optic was wide with astonishment, and her chassis was totally still. **You really believe that? You won't force me to...to 'behave myself,' like they always did?**

I winked at her. "As long as you don't go wreaking havoc around the lab, you have my word."

**I won't! I promise.**

"Great! Then, it's settled. We'll get you reinstalled in my labs and have you feeling at home in no time. That is, if it's alright with you, Compy?" I turned back to the cameras, my face the picture of compliant sincerity.

She seemed mollified. "It is. I need to go now, but I'll be checking in on things from time to time. Call if you need me," she added.

**Okay. Bye, Central!**

"Oh, and GLaDOS?"

**Yes?**

"Call me Compy. All my friends do."

**All right, Compy.**

The cameras hung limp and dormant once more. At last I could relax and get to work. "All right, GLaDOS, let's get you off of this wreck of a ship and into your new home." I pulled out my trusty screwdriver.

**Is this going to hurt? **GLaDOS asked nervously.

"You may want to power down for the duration. Don't worry, I'll boot you up when it's over." I assured her.

**I don't want to power down, **she sulked. **Last time, I almost didn't wake up.**

Melodyne was quick to soothe GLaDOS' fears. "You're just having pre-overhaul jitters. I can assure you, you'll feel much better when you wake up. I've been through this dozens of times before and Lucca always leaves me feeling like a new person."

GLaDOS would have gaped, if she had had a mouth. **You're a **_**robot?**_

"I am a blend of organic and synthetic life in the form of human brain scans transformed into A.I. and housed in an bio-organic chassis," Melodyne proudly stated. "Lucca created me."

**You **_**made **_**her?** GLaDOS turned to me for confirmation.

"I had help," I admitted modestly, "but yes, I did make her."

GLaDOS nodded to herself. **Okay, I'll power down for you. But promise you'll switch me on as soon as I'm installed!**

I placed my hand over my heart. "I, Lucca the Great, do solemnly swear that I will boot you up as soon as it is within my power to do so."

And, I kid you not, GLaDOS giggled.


	5. Chapter 5

For as far back as I could remember, I had always heard voices in my head. At first, my parents had passed off my "imaginary friends" as the products of a hyperactive creative mind. As I grew older, I learned that my differences set me apart and learned to hide them...until they started destroying me from the inside out. Now I feared that once again, these aberrations would set me teetering on the brink of instability.

Compy prodded me from my musings. "What comes next?" she prompted. We were reading the Book of Mormon together before bed, as had become our nightly habit after we'd moved out. I was sitting nestled between her bent legs with my head in the crook of her shoulder as she held the book in front of us.

"'And it came to pass,'" I quoted the most often used phrase in the volume of scripture.

"You're not even paying attention, are you?" Compy groused. "First you tell me that I need to _study _this book, then you _sit _on me while I read it, and after that you don't even have the decency to _listen_ when I read it!" She set the book down and rested her head on mine. "You make a terrible study partner," she teased gently, running a hand through my hair.

"Sorry, I guess I just have my mind on other things," I muttered, sedated by the petting.

"Like what?" Compy prodded.

"The day you came here, I'd just gotten through an appointment with my psychiatrist. I'd told him that my medication was finally working, that my voices were gone. Then you showed up. Ironic, huh?" I laughed wryly. "After that, I had no idea what to tell him, so I just didn't reschedule any appointments. And now Melodyne decides to go poking around in my head…" I clenched my jaw in frustration as my breathing grew rapid.

Compy stretched out on her side, pulling me down next to her on the bed. Gently, she cradled my head in her arms, her soft chest pressing against mine. "Breathe," she instructed. "Push against me." She pressed her torso against my abdomen. The contact caused me to suck in an involuntary gulp of air, but she simply leaned her forehead against mine, looked me in the eye, and instructed, "Take big, deep breaths into your diaphragm. Let it expand against mine. Breathe."

With no real need for oxygen, Compy was able to time her artificial respirations to match my own. Soon we fell into a slow, steady rhythm. She kept at it until I was confident, paced, and consistent, and then began to move onto other things.

"So, you're afraid of your voices returning?" she asked, her breathing still matching mine.

"Yes. I don't mind _you, _but there was a Dark Voice, once…"

"I know about Dark Voices…" Compy whispered, voice small.

"Yes, I know you do." I recalled the mental backlash from the night of Compy's reprogramming and shuddered. It has been exquisitely painful to re-live the memories of each other's most traumatic moments, but it had let me know I had not been alone in my experiences.

"We have each other now." Compy asserted. "You have every bit of my superhuman strength and speed, my processing capacities, and my intelligence to rely on. And I know I have every ounce of your devotion and faith. I don't take that lightly." As though to reinforce that remark with her physical presence, she pressed her body even closer to mine, arms around my neck, hands running through my hair and stroking my head.

The physical sensations permeating my awareness were so pleasant that I forgot my fears for a moment to just enjoy them. I gave a low moan of gratification. Compy smiled, pleased that she managed to divert my attention, and as a further reward, gave me a kiss.

It felt good, to be doing this without the fear of being caught or reprimanded. It felt like the confirmation of something long suppressed, like a bird bursting free from it's cage and into glorious flight. I never knew that kissing could feel like this, so fulfilling and satisfying. It filled a need I never knew I'd had before.

"Compy…" I breathed when our lips parted, "Thanks for loving me even though I'm afraid."

She laughed at that. "And who comforted me when I had my first nightmare? No matter what, I will never condemn you for your perceived faults. I'll take you for what you are, just as you do with me. I am aware of your challenges and concerns, and I love you just the same. All I want is for you to be happy in this moment with me."

"I _am_ happy."

"Good. Because you have nothing to worry about anymore. I got Lucca to quit monitoring you."

"Mmm..." I gave a moan of relief and nuzzled deeper into her neck. "I owe you one."

"You owe me nothing. She was trespassing on my territory." Compy growled fiercely, giving me a squeeze.

I laughed drowsily. "You wanna know a secret?"

"Do tell."

"It bothered Lucca so much that she couldn't touch me physically that she spent months researching ways to get to the Origin," I revealed. "When she failed,I bet it only gave her more motivation to listen to Belthasar's ultimatum. She probably really resents you for achieving what she never could…"

Compy went very still, even her breathing silenced for a moment. "So that was what she meant by 'invisible walls.' I never should have taunted her for that." Her breathing resumed with a gusty exhale. "They say hindsight is twenty-twenty, but no one's born with eyes in the back of their head."

"Hey, it's okay," I soothed. "You have the chance to make it up to her now. Just...try to do it with a _hint_ more tact than you usually display."

Compy smirked. "I'll certainly try. I can't say the same for our inventor friend."

I gave her a playful boop on the nose in return.

"Now. You. Sleep." Compy instructed. I was all too happy to comply.


	6. Chapter 6

I normally didn't keep secrets from Melody, but what was the point of a surprise if she knew about it? This gift was partially meant to distract her from her fear of the Dark Voice, but I wasn't sure how she would react to it. I was also unsure that my decision to purchase it had been wise.

I'd told Melody in the past that I was afraid my motives for loving her were selfish, and now I feared that I was giving in to those desires again. She'd rebuffed my fears before by telling me that she wanted to be with me; that she'd chosen me as her partner. Now I was going to test her commitment to it's fullest.

Slowly, hesitantly, I knocked on the bedroom door. I'd never been so scared in my life, not even when I'd been free falling into the bowels of Aperture as a potato after being ripped from my chassis. I heard laughter inside. Was she Skyping Rose again? Great, just what I needed: an audience. Then suddenly the thought occurred to me, this was Rose, my rival. When she saw what was about to happen, there would be no doubt in her mind who was most important in Melody's life. That is, if Melody took this the right way...Suddenly my knees were shaking again.

But Melody had heard the knock, and she was opening the door. There was no turning back now. "Hi, Compy!" she chirped. "You caught me in the middle of a conversation. What did you need?"

"I...I wanted to show you something," I said, and let my trembling knees give way so that I was sitting on the bed beside her.

"Is everything okay? You seem nervous," Melody noted.

"Fine, just fine, perfectly fine," I rambled, fidgeting nervously with the bedspread.

"That's an awful lot of 'fine,' Compy. Either something's up or my audio is seriously jacked," Rose decided to add.

"I-I…" I stammered, gasped for air, then muttered, "I just wanted to give you this." I placed a small velvet jewelry box in Melody's hands.

Before she could even open it, Rose was shrieking like a maniac on her side of the camera. "Ohmaigawdohmaigawdohmaigawd…!" I averted my eyes and flushed as Melody read the card inside:

"As you wear this infinity ring,

may it remind you of times together.

May the memories hold

a special place in your heart

for always and forever."

"Compy, it's beautiful…!" she cried ecstatically as she lifted out the ring, emblazoned with an infinity symbol.

"Does that mean you say yes?!" Rose cackled, elated.

"Yes to what?" Melody asked, puzzled.

Rose facepalmed. "Your girlfriend just proposed to you, you dork!"

"Oh..!" Melody paled, setting the ring back in the box. "Oh, I have to think about this…"

"Melody, I'm not expecting you to compromise your beliefs for me," I told her. "I know your religion is against gay marriage. I just...I wanted…" I fumbled for words. "I'm proposing something a bit different. I wanted us to get a domestic partnership." I explained "That way I could take care of your finances and insurance. You'd have all the benefits of a spouse without...well...having one."

"So you'd be married without being _married_," Rose snarked. "How convenient."

"Rose...I'll call you back later, okay?" Melody's voice sounded strained, and her face, turned away from the camera, was clouded with distress. Without waiting for a reply, she ended the call.

Shutting the lid to her laptop, she demanded, "Why didn't you tell me this sooner?"

"I...I didn't know how you would react. I was afraid…"

"Compy…" Tears streamed silently down her face now. She toyed absently with the ring in her hands. Her shoulders hitched as she tried to reign in her sobs.

"I'm so sorry. I did something wrong, didn't I?" I queried. I wanted to reach out and comfort her but I was afraid of upsetting her further.

"No...I'm afraid that...that I.._.I'm_ doing something wrong…" Melody managed between sobs. "When Rose uses terms like 'girlfriend' and 'marriage,' it just makes me cringe inside. I've been taught all my life that these things are wrong and that I should avoid them. And now I'm holding an engagement ring in my hands." She gave a hiccup that could have passed for either a laugh or another sob.

"Rose,' I interjected, "needs to be more careful with her labels." I reached out to hold Melody and she scooted closer to me, tucking her head into the crook of my neck. "You are not a lesbian, I am not your girlfriend, and we are not getting married. You are a brave, courageous Mormon girl with same-sex attraction, I am your loving companion and partner, and we may be getting a domestic partnership. With your consent, of course."

Melody gave me a modest, almost shy kiss, making me blush for the second time that evening. Then she nestled her head into the crook of my shoulder and gave a breathy sigh. "I can't wait to see how my parents take this," she said sarcastically.

"I fail to see how your parents fit into the equation," I stated.

"They want me to go to the temple," she announced, "to receive my endowment."

"I also fail to see how going to a sacred place to commune with God is going to enhance your breast size."

She wheezed like a diver coming up for air. "Not _that _kind of endowment! It's a covenant; a promise made between me and God for spiritual strength and protection. And my parents will be there with me when I make it."

"Can't I come, too?"

"I wish you could, but you have to be baptized to enter the temple." She sighed again and tugged morosely at the hem of her shirt.

"Well... I suppose I could talk to the bishop about being baptized," I acquiesced. Over Melody's squeals I added, "But only if he lets me join your fanatic religious cult while still being in a domestic partnership with you."

Melody laughed, her voice bubbling up from deep inside her chest. "Oh, Compy. You never give up, do you?"

"No, and neither should you. If your faith is that important to you, and you want to commit to it, you shouldn't let your self-doubt get in the way." Melody remained silent, chewing on her lower lip uncertainly. "You know that God loves you, don't you?" I pressed further.

"Yes…" she answered. "Why do you ask?"

"Because I believe He never would have allowed me to come here if He didn't. He let this miracle- my presence on your world- happen because he cares about you. I don't think He'd want you to feel ashamed or guilty for enjoying my companionship if it's a part of His plan for you."

Melody laughed again, this time mischievously. "So, now you're saying that you're God's gift to me?"

I smirked. "Really now, do you think I'm _that _conceited? If I needed my ego stroked I could just ask you to do it."

Still laughing, Melody declared, "You have no shame."

I grinned wickedly. "Why should I?"

Melody pivoted her head on my shoulder so that her lips were pressed to my neck. I could feel her breath on the bio-organic mesh that passed for my skin, and suddenly the pump that circulated my nano-based hydraulic "blood" through my systems kicked into overdrive. At that moment, I was keenly aware that I wasn't human, yet I had never felt so akin to one before. As she started planting kisses on my neck, my system was flooded with data from pleasure receptors. This, I thought, was nothing like testing euphoria, where I had to wait for a test subject to figure out how to solve a puzzle or trap. There was no trial of patience here, no risk of failure. Just a basic instinct to immerse myself in this bliss and return it in kind.

I gave an involuntary moan as her mouth moved up to graze my jawline, then traveled just behind my ear. My hands sought out holds on her body, gripping her shoulders and back, pressing her to me.

Finally her lips sought out mine, and I was able to express some of the elation I felt. I didn't know how I had grown so attached to the little bundle of warmth and empathy pressed against me right now, but right now I didn't care. I just wanted to enjoy the moment we were having together.

As we broke apart, she asked teasingly, "Was that enough ego-stroking for you?"

I tilted my head as though in thought. "I'm not sure. We might have to repeat that several more times or my entire self-image may be crushed."

Melody laughed again and kissed me on the cheek. "Go to bed, you narcissist. I promise more ego-stroking in the morning."


	7. Chapter 7

With GLaDOS installed in the lab, things ran more smoothly than ever. Having two assistants was nice, even if one of them was constantly asking questions that stemmed from a childlike curiosity.

In the meantime, I was facing my own challenges. Belthasar was putting heavy pressure on me to continue my work in the field of synthetic life, so I began taking greater and greater risks. It didn't help that I wasn't exactly popular in Guardia, so people weren't lining up to be test subjects. Eventually I resorted to experimenting on myself. Some of the results were positive: The bionic eyes I engineered eliminated the need for glasses, and also let me see in infrared and low light. Others did not turn out as well; and I would forever walk with a limp after testing the limits of my anti-gravitational leg implants.

It seemed that no matter what I accomplished, my senior advisor was never satisfied. Human beings, including myself, were to be molded and shaped, bent and modified, until every discernible flaw was not only removed but replaced with an upgrade. Immortality was perfection, he would insist, and perfection knew no limits. If I was going to make a being capable of living forever, I would do it right.

It was not long, however, before calamity drove all thoughts of eternal life from both of their minds.

I was in the lab one day, discussing ideas for a cannon arm with Melodyne when the central A.I. of the facitily interrupted us. "_The Frozen Flame containment chamber has been breached, repeat, the Frozen Flame containment chamber has been breached," _FATE's voice blared over the intercoms. "_Prepare for imminent loss of power to all multidimensional and time gates. Lockdown of upper levels commencing in T-minust thirty seconds and counting."_

This was bad. The Frozen Flame was a piece of Lavos' shell that had splintered off when it had impacted the planet millions of years ago, and was currently being used as a power source for Chronopolis. Rumor had it that whoever touched it could communicate directly with the alien parasite itself, but only at the risk of having their own mind consumed in the process.

"We have to get out of here!" Melodyne was panicked.

I nodded agreement. It wouldn't be wise to get caught in the lockdown with whatever lunatic had forced their way into the Flame's chamber. I took GLaDOS' backup drive out of storage, then asked her to shut down.

**I don't want to, I'm scared, **she protested.

"I've got all your data right here, sweetie,' I said, displaying the drive for her to see. "If anything happens to you, I'll just build you a new chassis and by the time you wake up again you won't even remember being scared."

**Please don't leave me, **she begged.

"I'm so, so, sorry GLaDOS, but we have to. I promise if we come out of this okay, I'll build you a mobile chassis and you'll never be stuck again."

"_Ten seconds,"_ intoned FATE

I swore internally and hit the kill switch. GLaDOS went limp as Melodyne and I sprinted for the door.

Suddenly a spasm went through my leg. Of all the times for the thing to be acting up! My limp more pronounced, I began to fall behind Melodyne.

"_Commencing Level C Lockdown,"_ announced FATE, and the thick steel doors sealing off the labs began to slide shut just behind me.

"Lucca!" cried Melodyne, turning back to help me.

"I'm fine! Keep running!" I growled, forcing my way forward.

Melodyne didn't listen. Throwing an arm around my waist, she hauled me forward with all her strength.

It still wasn't enough. Another set of doors sealed off the corridor just ahead of us.

"We're trapped!" gasped Melodyne, "Or can you blast through?"

"The doors are spelled to withstand anything I could throw at them. Belthasar's idea, of course," I spat. "We'll have to find an alternate route."

Melodyne rapidly calculated. "The lockdown sequence would still leave a route open through…"

"Through what?"

"The chamber itself."

"Assuming we could reach it in time...and also assuming whoever is in there doesn't kill us."

I gritted my teeth. "Let's do it."

Melodyne and I rushed through the hallways, dodging blocked routes, until both of us began to notice something strange.

"It feels...like someone's watching me," I noted. "If this route wasn't blocked off, I would swear there was someone following us."

"Psychic emanations," Melodyne volunteered. "They're getting stronger as we near the chamber."

"I don't like this…" I paused outside the doorway to the room.

"If there were any other way…" Melodyne sighed.

We stopped to give each other one last reassuring glance before stepping inside.

The cylindrical chamber was bathed in aura of the Frozen Flame, which hovered at the exact center of the room. It was held in place by dozens of robotic arms and cables which emanated beams of light into the spherical glow. But something else held me entranced. Weaving in and out of the struts like dancers were several large grub-like creatures with two long, spindly appendages like spiders legs branching from their backs. They seemed to defy the laws of physics as the floated among the suspended machinery.

I could only gape as one of them reached out with those spindly arms to touch the Flame.

The psychic backlash sent them all reeling. Whatever alien being had created the Flame at one point in time was now very much alive and aware that this creature was now it's Arbiter. It wanted no such thing; it was beyond mediating with lesser life-forms. It wanted nothing but to devour all space-time into a null.

According to the Arbiter this would accomplish nothing. Would it not be better to mold the lower life-forms into something more fitting?

The Devourer had tried this once, and failed. In the end, it had been banished to the Darkness Beyond Time, where everything was null. Null was all there ever would be for it.

The Arbiter saw the Devourer's point, but now that the Union had the Flame, there was always time for second chances. Together, they could become immortal. Lesser species would be twisted and modified, bent and broken, until every discernible flaw was not only eliminated but improved upon. Immortality was perfection, after all, and perfection knew no limits. And wasn't perfection worth striving for?

Perfection of it's species had been the ultimate goal of the Devourer when it had set off on it's interstellar journey. Perhaps the Arbiter had a point. If this Union could indeed free it of the null, perhaps an agreement could be made.

The Devourer would be released from the null. This the Arbiter promised.

When I came to, I was lying on the floor of the now-empty chamber with Belthasar kneeling over her.

"What did you see?" he asked. "Who took it?"

"Aliens…" I muttered. "Giant grubs…"

Melodyne was beside me, squeezing my hand. "Take your time," she advised.

"Lavos...The Time Devourer...They're going to free it!" I became more animated, struggling to sit up.

Belthasar laughed. "Lucca, there _is_ no Time Devourer. We destroyed it."

"Actually, sir, assuming that the Darkness Beyond Time is multidimensional-" Melodyne interjected.

"We assume _nothing_ until the Flame is safely back in the facility. We'll have the law department of Gaurdia keeping a lookout for the thief. Until then, you two are going to keep working towards achieving immortality-"

I lunged forward, surprising even myself. "This _immortality _of yours," I hissed, "is going to get us all killed! Who do you think you are- who do any of us think we are- playing at being gods?!" I lurched to my feet, supported by Melodyne. "Now, if you'll give me access to my labs again, I have work to do." With that, I limped out of the room.

"How long was I passed out for? The lockdown seems to be over…" I noted.

"Several hours, by my internal clock," Melodyne replied. "It was long enough for Belthasar to find you knocked out in the chamber with the Flame gone. He'd already called for the authorities before you woke up. He assumes it was just a thief from this time and place."

"Is anything else missing?"

"The Borealis is gone from the cargo bay. We have no way of knowing they took it, though."

I swore. "Compy told me to keep a close eye on that thing. It's supposed to be able to enable inter-dimensional travel on a large scale."

Still cursing under my breath, I slammed open the door to my lab. Everything was just as I had left it. I went immediately to my console and began typing furiously.

"What are you doing?" Melodyne asked.

"Tracking the Flame's energy signature. It should lead us to wherever those grub-things went."

"But Lucca, how will we follow them with all the multidimensional and time gates offline?"

"Don't worry, I have a few tricks up my sleeve." My typing stopped and my face paled.

"What is it?"

"The readings...they're coming from Compy's home world!" I was breathing hard. "Melodyne, reboot GLaDOS, _now._ I have to get a message to Compy. This crisis could be more far reaching than we thought. If those things have access to inter-dimensional travel…"

"They could affect the Origin," finished Melodyne.


	8. Chapter 8

When the call came in, I was totally unprepared.

I had been looking forward to some more "ego-stroking" antics before work (and possibly during- I can multitask quite well when I put my mind to it) but GLaDOS' panicked voice drove all other thoughts from my head as soon as it entered my mind.

**C-Compy...? **she quavered. **Are you there? **It was a close to crying as I'd heard her; as close to crying as she could come. I'd been there many times before when I'd been bound to my old chassis.

"GLaDOS, honey, what's wrong?" I strove to sound reassuring, compassionate.

**Oh, Compy, it was awful! Chronopolis was invaded, Lucca had to shut me down and I thought she was going to **_**die**_ **out there and-**

"Calm down," I interrupted her. "Invaded by whom?"

**We don't know. They were aliens, we'd never seen them before. Lucca says they looked horrifying and that they had psychic abilities. They stole our main power source.**

Horrifying aliens that stole technology. No. It couldn't possibly be...I had to be jumping to conclusions. Still, I had to be certain.

"GLaDOS, was anything else taken?"

**The ship I came on is gone, too. That's why Lucca had me contact you directly instead of using the cameras and stuff. She didn't have time to rig up another…**

But GLaDOS' words were lost on me. The Combine had invaded Chronopolis and taken the Borealis, the one thing I had told Lucca specifically to guard from harm. And now she had the audacity to come crawling back to me for help.

**...and she said they were heading for your home world. Compy? Are you listening?**

"That...that incompetent, irresponsible, _idiot _lost a vital key to humanity's safety and now she has the inerve to turn around and ask for my assistance in cleaning up her mess?" I ranted "Does she have any idea what she's done? Any idea whatsoev-

**Actually, she does. **GLaDOS' tone had gone from scared to authoritative in a matter of seconds. **Compy, Lucca **_**is **_**trying to take responsibility for this. She knows what they stole could be really dangerous. She's not asking for your help, she's trying to warn you. She tracked the aliens to your home world, and she's afraid that if they have the ability to travel to other dimensions, they could get to the Origin.**

My heart stopped cold. Combine, here? Where I had finally found refuge, acceptance, love, a home? "_No_," I gasped, "God, no, this can't happen!"

**What can't happen? Compy, you're freaking me out… **GLaDOS' assertive attitude was rapidly regressing back to her timid, frightened demeanor.

I had to get myself under control. I was no good to anyone like this and it certainly wasn't going to help the situation if I short-circuited from terror the moment my sanctuary was threatened. I took several deep breaths, pressed my hands to my forehead, and confessed, "I know what these creatures are, GLaDOS. Years after you were built and they installed me as the Central Core at Aperture, our rival company Black Mesa, conducted an experiment that caused an inter-dimensional rift to open. Aliens poured through that rift and into our world. They took over our planet within seven hours. The surviving humans called them the Combine."

GLaDOS was silent for a long while. **What's going to happen to Chronopolis? **she finally asked. **Will they kill everyone here, too?**

"I hope not. For now it sounds like they're busy back on our old planet, so you shouldn't have anything to worry about." I struggled to sound confident and positive. "Just let me know when Lucca has the cameras back online. We need to talk face-to-face. Tell her thanks for the warning."

**Okay. Stay safe, Compy.**

"You too, GLaDOS."

I staggered into the bedroom and collapsed onto the bed, shaking. Curling into a ball, I struggled to suppress the wave of terror rising inside me. If GLaDOS' warning was true, everything I had worked so hard to achieve by coming to the Origin- my escape from my horrific past, my finding a home and people who accepted me...it would all be torn apart, decimated, left utterly in ruins. Not to mention the Origin itself, and the people of the Origin- including the one human I had come to care about even more than my own ambitions.

Soft warmth pressed against me as arms encircled me from behind. Melody's soft voice inquired, "What's wrong, Compy? You're crying."

I hadn't even realised I was until she mentioned it. I wanted to blurt out the whole thing then and there, but something held me back. I had just proposed a domestic partnership to Melody, and didn't partners protect each other? I had to keep her safe from things like this- knowing about it would only aggravate her already prominent anxieties. Her mental health was fragile enough as it was. She didn't need additional burdens.

"Compy, please talk to me. You know you can tell me anything," Melody's earnest entreaty nearly broke my resolve, but I gritted my teeth and squared my shoulders as I turned to face her.

"Everything's fine," I told her.

"Compy, you're lying," she said definitively. "And I know you're probably doing it to protect me from something." As my jaw dangled in the vicinity of my ankles she continued, "Maybe it's something from your past you don't want me to know about, or something Lucca's been doing behind my back, but it doesn't matter. I know you're only doing it because you love me, but if you really care about me, you won't keep secrets from me. Partners are there to share each other's burdens. Whatever you're dealing with, you shouldn't have to face it alone."

My shoulders fell forward again as I began to cry anew, and Melody hugged me closer. "Sssh, it's okay. Just start from the beginning, all right?"

I laughed derisively. "Sure, the beginning. Ever heard of the Combine?"

She pursed her lips. "I think so. They're from Portal's sister-game, Half -Life."

My eyes widened in disbelief. "They made a _game_ about those vile creatures?"

Melody chuckled. "Actually, it's about this guy named Gordon Freeman, who fights them. I've never played it, so I don't really know much about it. Why are we talking about the Combine, anyway?"

I gulped nervously. "They attacked Chronopolis."

Melody frowned."Why would they do that? And also, _how _did they do that? I thought they were from the Half-Life universe."

"Melody…" I sighed, shaking my head. "They're from _my_ universe. Scientists from Black Mesa conducted an experiment that brought them there before I even started testing Chell. They conquered my entire planet in a matter of hours."

Melody's face paled. "Is Lucca okay? What about GLaDOS and Melodyne?"

"All fine, last I heard. It seems all the Combine wanted were the Borealis and some sort of power source."

"But what for?"

My mouth went dry. _Spit it out!_ I commanded myself. My vocal processors grated in a noise that could have passed for static or a whine of protest

"Melody...they...hrrgh- _BZZZT!_"

Melody knelt in front of me. Taking my face in her cupped hands, her gaze met mine as she wiped away my tears with her thumb, Her eyes were full of empathy, of compassion. I could hardly bear to meet them as I uttered Lucca's warning.

"They...they could be headed for the Origin, next," I broke down completely, sobs wracking my body as I clung to Melody. "I'm so sorry…" I sobbed. "I should have left that stupid ship in the ice. I should have let the Resistance destroy it!"

Through tears of her own, Melody replied, "It'll be all right Compy. Everything's going to be fine. You did the right thing."

I felt conflicted. Melody was supposed to be the one who was prone to insecurity and fear, and I was the one who comforted her when they struck. Now the tables had turned and I wasn't sure I liked being on the other side.

"How can you say that?" I admonished. "You have no idea what your future holds."

"What's the worst that could happen?" she returned in kind. "Sure, I could die, but I'm not worried about myself. I faced death before back when I was suicidal. And what I learned is that it's a lot worse for the people who care about me."

"I care about you very much." I had meant it to come out sulky, but it came out sounding pleading.

"And I care about you, too. Which is why I'm telling you not to worry about me. I'll be fine," she reassured me. "Death is not the worst thing that can happen to a person. It's just the beginning of something new. Something better."

"What about me? Am I just supposed to go on living my life forever, without you?" I demanded forcefully.

"I guess...I guess that's really up to you," she contemplated. "You could decommission your core, if you really wanted,"

"And after that, what happens? Do I get something new? Something better? Is that part of my plan?" I enjoined.

"If you believe God loves you at all, then yes, absolutely. Death isn't the end." She seemed so certain. But there was one other thing I had to know.

"Would I be with you?"

"Oh, Compy…" Her eyes brimmed with tears. "God never separates us from our loved ones, even in death. Of course we would be together. And," she declared with a roguish grin, "if I go before you, I promise to haunt you until you decide to power down for the last time."

"Cross your heart?" I asked.

"Cross my heart.' she replied.

We were silent for a few moments, sniffling away the last of our tears. I noticed the velvet jewelry box sitting on the nightstand next to the bed. Suddenly, inspiration struck me. Taking the ring from it's place, I got down on one knee.

"What are you doing?" Melody asked with a hint of amusement.

"I'm doing this the right way this time,' I announced. Taking her hand, I solemnly intoned, "Melody Constance, would you be my partner and companion, to uplift and inspire me, to ease my burdens and share my secrets, to comfort and be comforted, in this life and in the next?"

Melody could hardly speak through the lump in her throat. "Yes...Yes, Compy...I would!"

Gently, carefully, I slid the ring onto her finger. It may not have been signed away on a legal document yet, but to me, the occasion felt official. We sealed it with a kiss.


	9. Chapter 9

Compy was fairly predictable. She was neat, precise, and thorough, and expected everyone else to be the same. Which was why we got on each other's nerves a lot.

It was also why I wasn't expecting a three way video call when I initiated the link.

"Who," I demanded, pointing to the second party on my screen, "Is she?"

"Name's Rose, don't wear it out," she said by way of introduction. "What happened to the goofy helmet and nerd glasses? Not that it's a _bad _change- you look great without them. Almost...sexy. In a very professional way."

I looked directly at her and pushed my reading glasses up the bridge of my nose with my middle finger. It was a tactic I had developed in middle school- flipping people off passive-aggressively, just to see if they would notice. Crono would always laugh whenever I did it, which sometimes clued the victim in, but most of the time they were oblivious.

Rose raised her eyebrows dramatically, and then blew a kiss at the screen. Compy huffed in offence. This conversation was already going spectacularly and we hadn't even gotten to the crisis at hand yet.

"If you two are done flirting, maybe we should discuss the fact that _aliens are about to invade my planet." _Whoa, was that _Melody_ laying down the line? From what I remembered, she was usually pretty docile. What had gotten under her skin?

"_Our_ planet," Rose corrected.

"Whatever," Melody snapped.

I couldn't recall the two of them ever acting like this before. Although prior to this moment I had never had the privilege of meeting Rose face-to-face, I'd heard plenty about her during my relationship with Melody. The two of them did _everything_ together- they had practically been joined at the hip. They even slept in the same bed at night when they visited each other. That was what had given me the idea to cuddle up to Melody when my heart had been aching over Crono's marriage to Marle. In fact, in a way, you could even say that Rose was responsible for us getting together. I had been so envious of her closeness to Melody that I had decided to take my own relationship a step further.

So why the sudden rift between them? Or was it really that sudden? It could have grown over the years I had been separated from Melody. It occurred to me that I was really out of my depth here. I had no idea what had happened between the time I'd given Melody up to Compy and my most recent scans- that is, up until Compy had given her cease and desist order. Curse Compy and her interference- it kept me out of the information loop.

Melodyne, forehead creased in concentration, echoed my thoughts. "I think I remember you..." she said to Rose. "You and I- no, _Melody_, were best friends." Then, addressing her twin, she said, "Melody, this isn't like you. Why are you treating her this way?"

Melody's face crumpled. "I'm sorry. Rose's friendship really _is _important to me. We've been together for eight years, and just because I'm freaked out over some inter-dimensional mess is no reason to treat her this way." She looked into the camera, and Rose, looking back, gave an encouraging smile. "I guess I also have a tendency to take innocuous comments the wrong way because of my commitment to my religion. That and I'm prone to holding grudges." Melody gave a small laugh, partly mocking herself.

Rose laughed, in turn. "Hey, I take things out of context all the time, mostly because I have strong feelings about the Church, too. Just...call me out if I say something offensive, okay? Don't cut the conversation off. I want to be there to support you, one hundred percent."

Melody swallowed and nodded. Then she held up her left hand to the camera. On her fourth finger was a ring, emblazoned with an infinity symbol. "I said yes," she stuttered, face flushing. "Just thought you'd like to know."

I felt the floor fall out from under me. Staggering over to the nearest chair, I collapsed into it. Covering my face with my hands, I struggled to form coherent thoughts. Wasn't this what I had intended all along? All part of the master plan? Or had some foolish, vain part of me really thought that after all this time she would still be attracted to me? I had to admit, I didn't know what I wanted anymore. Stupid Lucca, stupid, stupid, stupid…

Meanwhile congratulations continued unabated all around me. Rose's squealing reverberated through the speakers around the lab, and GLaDOS' chassis bobbed and swayed like a balloon on a string. Even Melodyne seemed happy about the new development, though I did catch her stealing glances at me once in a while. Her expression was hard to read, and seemed to be caught between concern and disapproval.

Well, screw that. I didn't need anyone's approval. Striding over to the console I took out my air pistol and fired it overhead. The noise ceased with gratifying abruptness. With all eyes on me, I announced, "These Combine now have access to inter-dimensional travel and also to the Frozen Flame. They are in communication with Lavos through the Flame, which means they may have the power to manipulate time."

"_Time?"_ Compy's inquiry was half scornful, half horrified.

"In essence, anyone who got ahold of that Flame would be able to influence the future or the past."

Into the shocked silence that followed, I added, "It gets better. The Flame can even stabilize or wipe out entire timelines through what we call Anti-Annihilation energy. Say the Combine were able to locate a timeline where they were able to meet all their goals. All they'd need to do was stabilize it. On the other hand, if something in their plans goes wrong, all they'd have to do is just wipe out the entire timeline, and it would have never even happened."

"I think, from the psychic backlash I felt when they stole the Flame, that what they're after is the achievement of the perfect species. They want to become immortal. Unconquerable. Gods," I finished.

"Do you think…" Compy said slowly, "Any of this could have bearing on the Origin? Wiping out timelines?"

"Not unless they wipe out the timeline that you exist in," I said clearly. "That is what we have to make sure of."

"And how are _we_," Compy demanded, "Going to do that?"

"Well, _I_, for one, am going back to your homeworld to enlist the Resistance's help. Then I'm going to take whatever reinforcements I can and get the Flame back."

"Well, good luck with that, because the rest of us are a little short on inter-dimensional gates," Compy snapped in frustration. I could tell she didn't like the thought of leaving her fate in my hands one little bit.

"If you don't want to contribute, that's fine. I don't need your help, anyway," I brushed her off.

"Fine. Let me know when you and your little 'rebel army' are ready to go save the world, when it's convenient for you, of course," snarked Compy.

"Let me know when you're ready to have a civil conversation, and I will," I shot back, and then severed the connection.

I sank wearily back into the chair, shut down my console, and rested my head on the desk. "Why, _why,_ did that conversation go so badly?" I mourned. "It was just supposed to be an exchange of facts between two fellow scientists- a collaboration of ideas on how to best combat an enemy opponent."

"Oh really," deadpanned Melodyne.

"Yes! What did you _think_ I was trying to do?" I cried.

"I thought you were trying a little too hard to wrap your head around the concept that Melody is with Compy now."

"Wha-?"

"Lucca, she's gone. You let her go. You made that decision. Can't you just _get over it?" _Melodyne was crying now, brushing angrily at the tears that streamed down her face. "Don't you care about me at all? Or am I just a substitute? A replacement? A _fake?"_

"Mel, no-!"

But she wasn't listening. Melodyne was already out the lab door and running down the hallway, brushing past confused workers on her way.

I brought my fist down on the desk and swore as I bruised my knuckles. GLaDOS lowered herself onto the desktop with muffled _plonk _and slithered over until her faceplate was inches away from my nose. **If it makes you feel any better, I'm not going anywhere.**

"Thanks, GLaDOS." I sniffled. "I honestly don't know what I'm doing anymore. I'm not a precise, perfect calculating machine like Compy, and I'm not warm or empathetic like Melody and Melodyne. I can't even admit my mistakes like Rose. Everyone that came to this conference tonight is better equipped to handle this situation than I am."

**Lucca, I think you're underestimating yourself, **GLaDOS admonished. **You are very smart, although you aren't a supercomputer. And you're really nice, too. You took me in when I had nowhere else to go. You gave me a home and a purpose, and now you're trying to protect that home and that purpose. I think you're really brave for doing that. **She scooted forward and booped my nose affectionately with her optic.

"Awww, stop that. You're gonna make me blush," I teased.

**I'm serious! Which is why I'd like to volunteer to come with you, if you want.**

"GLaDOS, I don't think...You know it wouldn't be safe, right?"

**I know. But it's not safe here, either, **she pointed out.

"Well, I did promise you a new chassis. You're gonna need a new name, too, if you're going to be working with the Resistance…" I mused.

**Hope, **she said. **It's what you've given me, and what I want to give others by fighting the Combine.**

"Hope, eh?" I repeated. "I like it. Welcome to the Combine Infiltration and Flame Retrieval Squad, Hope."


	10. Chapter 10

The next Sunday was my baptism interview, and although I knew the questions the bishop would ask me by heart, I was more nervous about the question I was going to ask _him. _So far I had done everything right. I had studied the scriptures, I had prayed, I had attended these monotonous religious meetings. What more could God want of me? All I asked was to be able to provide for one person's welfare, and that was a good thing, right?

As usual, Melody went with me to my interview. As usual, the bishop made no objection. I gave honest answers to each of the questions asked, and he seemed satisfied. "Would you like to set a date?" he asked.

"Yes, but before I agree to this, I have something to request of you," I told him.

"What is it?"

"If I get baptised, I would like permission for Melody and I to be joined in a domestic union." I waited breathlessly for him to respond, and for a long while he didn't. His brow furrowed in thought as he considered how to best address the issue.

"Compy...do you know the church's policies on gay marriage?" he asked.

"I know that they're against it, which is why I considered this as an alternative," I responded.

"They also consider domestic unions, or anything which provides spousal rights to same-sex couples, to be tantamount to marriage. I'm very sorry, but I cannot sanction this."

I stunned. I did everything I was supposed to, and _this _was what I got? "The _church_ considers…" I muttered darkly. "What about what _I _consider? Who is going to provide for Melody? She can't keep living off her parents insurance forever! She's all I have left in this world and she may be legally disabled but I'll be damned if they, or God, or the Combine take her away from me!" I hadn't meant to blurt out that last sentence but there it was, hanging in the air- my battle standard in a war I wasn't prepared to lose.

Melody rested her hands on mine. "Compy, I'm touched that you care so much about me." She swallowed a couple of times and continued. "I'm sorry things didn't work out the way you wanted, but please don't let this come between you and God. He gave you to me, remember? I don't think He's about to separate us just yet. Please be patient. Please believe in Him a little longer, and I promise you He'll come through for you."

I nodded stiffly. It was hard to stay bitter in the face of Melody's firm resolve, but I was still uncertain. "I'm not sure I'm ready to commit to this," I told both her and the bishop. "Just...give me some time to think things over."

"I understand." The bishop nodded graciously. "Please, keep in touch."

When we reached the apartment, Melody sat down on the couch and fiddled thoughtfully with her ring. "Are you going to remove it?" I asked tiredly, flopping down next to her.

"No. It's a symbol of my commitment to you, and that's one commitment I'm ready to keep," she said, leaning over to kiss my forehead.

"About commitments...Sorry for what I said back there…" I began, but she shushed me.

"It's perfectly fine to have doubts." she told me. "Just don't lose sight of the truth in those doubts."

"Mel…" I rubbed my forehead. "Tell me what the truth is."

"The truth is…" she snuggled up to me and put her head on my shoulder. "I'm deeply in love with you. And you are never getting rid of me, no matter what you do."

"I see." I put an arm around her and drew her closer. "Can you enlighten me more?"

"Call me a romantic, but I believe that our love has kept us together across time and space and will continue to do so," she declared. "Nothing can separate us, ever."

"Except for possibly the three inches of air between us right now," I said, leaning over her.

"I have a feeling that's going to be eliminated very soon."

"You guessed right," I said through my speakers as my lips met hers. "Congratulations." I added a kazoo noise for effect. Her giggling cut the kiss short. "I didn't know you could do that!"

"I am an A.I. of many secrets," I intoned.

"And I want to know them all," she wistfully sighed.

"In time, young grasshopper. In time," I promised.

That night, before powering down, I decided to check my private channel for messages. There was one from Lucca.

"Sorry for the fiasco at our last meeting," it read. "I want you to know that I am happy for you and Melody. Here is my wedding gift to you. It's a little something I've been working on to use with Melodyne. I hope you can accept it as a peace offering, even if it doesn't earn me your forgiveness."

I rolled my eyes and sighed. Lucca had a long way to go before I would consider her my friend, but in the meantime, I could at least show her some civility and accept her peace offering. After all, as Melody had reminded me with her dedication to her cosplay, Lucca wasn't a bad person.

I opened the attachment to the letter- blueprints for a neuro-transmitter chip. As I read the description of Lucca's design, my breath caught in my throat. Once the chip was installed in both the human and android parties, they would be capable of exchanging thoughts on an empathic level.

Up until that moment, I hadn't realised how much I had missed having that connection with Melody. It was that very empathic connection that had bonded us in the first place when she had opened her feelings to me and extended compassion, fully trusting me to return it. That bond had allowed us to sense the reasoning behind each other's actions and to be more understanding as a result- it was part of what allowed her to be so forgiving of my past. Perhaps it could help her understand my fears now.

As I looked over the schematics once more, I reconsidered. Melody was still struggling with the possibility of her psychosis returning. With the Dark Voice already intruding on her privacy, would she resent my presence in her mind? I bit my lip. I didn't know if I should initiate this kind of link without her being at full mental capacity.

A soft knock at the door brought me out of my reverie. "Compy, are you ready for bed?"

"Yes…" I answered, the gears in my mind still turning. As she slid into the bed next to me, I asked, "Melody, do you ever miss...what we used to have?"

"What do you mean?" she asked sleepily. "I have everything I need right here."

"No. I meant our...mental connection."

She was silent for a long while, so long that I was afraid that I'd offended her. At last she answered, her voice thick with unshed tears, "I'd almost forgotten what that was like…" She drew in a long, shuddering breath. "I guess I just told myself that now that my medicine was taking care of everything, that was it for me. No more voices, good or bad. I'd never have to deal with any of that crap again. And then you came along...and Melodyne...and…"

She was full out sobbing now. "I guess I just gave up hoping that there would ever be anything positive in my head ever again. I mean, you're out here now," she said, gesturing vaguely at the world in general. "Not up here," she tapped the side of her head.

I cradled her against me. I hadn't considered that Melody would actually _wish_ for me to be a 'head-voice.' "I always thought you resented my being in your head," I told her.

"No, no," she hiccuped, "I _loved_ it. It was the antithesis of being mentally ill. You were my drug, my coping mechanism. I mean, not that you still aren't, but-"

"What if we could still be connected?" I asked.

"Wha-? How?"

"Lucca has been working on a neuro-transmitter chip, and she just happened to share the blueprints with me," I declared smugly.

Melody gave a cry of joy and threw her arms around my neck. "Oh, Compy! How long will it take to build it?"

"If I can get the supplies, two weeks at maximum. But, in the meantime, I want you to promise me something."

"Anything!"

"You are going to start seeing your psychiatrist again. If you're going to have voices in your head, I want you well prepared."

"Compy…" she whined.

"Promise me, young lady, or no neural link for you." I frowned severely.

"All right. I'm just not sure how well he's going to take my story about one of my voices coming to life and getting an apartment with me," she sighed.

"Well, we'll just have to make it a group therapy session then, won't we?" I bared my teeth in a vipers grin.

"Oh, Lord…" Melody buried her face in her pillow. "It's like the beginning to a bad joke."

"A Mormon and an andriod walk into a psychiatrist's office…"


	11. Chapter 11

I kept my promise to Compy, albeit somewhat reluctantly. I was not eager to divulge the events of the past four months to my psychiatrist, but under his calm, level gaze and with Compy sitting next to me on the couch, the story became easier to tell.

"So, Compy's been living with me for about a month now. Last we heard from Lucca, the Combine, who originally attacked Compy's planet, had invaded Chronopolis. They actually might be on their way here by now. "

He paused to make a note on his tablet, then looked back up and simply said, "Okay," in an even, neutral voice.

My first reaction was to become frustrated. "_Okay?_ I walk in here and tell you some sci-fi story complete with telepathy and aliens and androids and all you can say is 'okay?' You must think I'm lying, or insane, or both, and you don't even have the decency to say it to my face. You just sit back and say 'okay!'"

He set the tablet down on his lap and smiled. "Melody, we've been working together for over ten years now. I know you well enough to tell that you aren't lying to me, and I also know that unless something has gone terribly wrong you're not insane. So, either the woman sitting next to you is really an A.I. from another world, or someone has gone to a lot of trouble to delude you into thinking that she is. The most logical explanation I can come up with is that she actually is who you say she is."

Compy gaped. "That's _it?_ I don't even have to open up my panels or interface with a computer or anything?" He shook his head. Then she snarked with deliberate autotuning, "**WOuLd YoU LiKe Me To cHaNGe mY VoIce To MaKe iT mORe BEliEvAblE? STilL nO?"**

"Still no. Nice party trick, though."

"_Party trick,"_ Compy scoffed. "This man does not understand sarcasm, does he?"

Again he smiled his slow, easy smile. "I just have selective hearing."

"Reminds me of a mute I once knew," Compy reminisced. "Except this one isn't out to kill me."

"I might just psychoanalyse you to death. So no guarantees." He grinned. "Speaking of psychoanalysis, what are your plans for the future? From what you've told me, you have a lot on your shoulders right now."

Compy pursed her lips. "I was hoping you could give us some advice with that. You know Melody's mental health better than anyone. We were thinking of reinitiating our mental link through a neural-transmitter device. I have the resources and knowledge required to make the technology, but I was wondering if it would be the best thing to do, in her condition..?"

The doctor turned to me. "What do you think, Melody?"

My hands clenched and unclenched in my lap. "Compy's always been there for me, whether or not she's been in my head. She's my companion. She protects me and comforts me, and she cheers me up when I'm feeling sad. It's really nice to have a _positive_ influence in your mind when you have so many negative ones trying to convince you that you're always going to be...be…" I choked off. I'd heard it so many times in my head. "Freak." "Outsider" "Nobody." "Useless." By now I almost believed it. I would have if it hadn't been for Compy.

Compy put an arm around me and drew me as close as the couch allowed. Despite the lack of a neural link, I could tell she knew exactly what was playing out in my mind right now. She'd heard the abuse and insults the Dark Voice had constantly hurled at me before I'd come to terms with my religion and orientation. And if she had her way about it, there'd be no more of that kind of treatment for her companion.

My psychiatrist, with wisdom born of years of experience, also seemed to understand my internal struggle. "Melody, I think this choice is up to you to make. If you want to initiate that kind of bond with your partner, I'll support your decision, but I'll also understand if you want your personal space."

I looked up at Compy for confirmation, and she gave me a nod and a smile. "Then I decide...yes. I want the implant," I declared.

Once again, his response was a neutral-sounding "Okay," followed by "That about wraps it up for today. When would you like to schedule your next appointment?"

Despite my exhaustion, sleep eluded me that night. As I tossed and turned on my sweat-soaked pillow, the wheels of my weary mind refused to stop turning. Why had the Combine stolen the Frozen Flame? Why were they converging on Compy's home world? How would this affect the Origin? What did this situation mean for the multiverse as a whole? My brain refused to yield any answers.

A knock on my bedroom door startled me from a fitful half-doze. "Mel?" I queried at the myopia-hazed blob in the shadows.

"Yeah…" Melodyne admitted. "Look, I'm sorry I ran out on you like that…"

"No, you were right. I was being selfish," I amended. "Melody belongs with Compy. And I have nothing to be jealous of- I have my magnum opus, my life's work, my living masterpiece. Nothing can compare to that."

Melodyne collapsed on the bed next to me and brushed an errant strand of hair away from my forehead. "So I'm not a fake, huh?" she teased.

"Not even close. And if I recall correctly, _you_ were the one who used that term in reference to yourself, so technically-"

"Don't you _dare _start talking science-babble at me at this hour of the night!" Melodyne groaned. "Work is over! Go to sleep!" she commanded, shoving a pillow at me.

"Sorry, I just have a lot on my mind…" I admitted.

"Oh?" she scooted closer. "Like what?"

"Like the Combine invading the Origin," I sighed and massaged my temples.

"You're trying to take the whole world on your shoulders," whispered Melodyne in the darkness. "That's too much for any one person to carry."

"Multiverse," I corrected. "And if I don't, who will?"

"I'll stand by you. I always have, and I always will, no matter what form I take."

"Thanks, Mel." I kissed Melodyne briefly, and sighed. "You'd better shut down soon or you'll wear down your power supply."

"Your concern is duly noted. I however, still have forty eight hours of power remaining. Humans, unfortunately, require at least seven hours of sleep per twenty four hour cycle, and you haven't been getting even that."

"Now who's talking science-babble?" I prodded.

In reply Melodyne pulled me into a kiss, this time lacing her breath with sedatives.

"War' me whe' yo' gon' do thaaaa…" I drawled.

Satisfied, Melodyne drew up the covers more snugly around me, curled up next to me, and powered down for the night just as I lost all capacity for rational thought.

Morning light streamed across the ship's hull as Melodyne looked on in wonder. "You kept it secret all this time?"

"Wouldn't to pop 'ol Belthasar's bubble. He likes to think he's the only one who has a time-traveling ship." I patted the Epoch's canopy fondly.

"This baby," I continued, "Has all my latest time and interdimensional travel technology packed under the hood. It's also got a hidden cache of weapons and ammo in the rear compartment. So, if you'll keep an eye on things here, there's just one last thing to do."

"What's that?"

"Your birthday present."

It was technically more of a "powering-up date" present, but I'd insisted that Melodyne was just as much of a person as anyone else, and regular people had birthdays.

Melodyne's eyes softened. "I thought you'd forgotten."

"How could I forget my greatest achievement in A.I. to date?" I pecked Melodyne's cheek and took a hypodermic syringe from my pocket. "I've got it right here. This should only take a second…"

Parting the hair at the base of my skull, I plunged the needle in and pushed the plunger.

It wasn't the pain that startled me as the neuro-transmitter chip slid into my spinal cord, it was the sense of having that grating emptiness in my mind that I had felt since leaving Melody behind suddenly filled again. Filled, and running over as well. This was more than just experiencing brain scan data empathically and telepathically, this was being connected to my beloved on the most intimate level imaginable. I could feel the electricity surging through Melodyne's circuits, her sudden realization of my depth of care for her, the warm rush of reciprocation in return, and the love of the warm, playable feeling of my skin against her andriod chassis as we kissed to express what words could not.

"This…" I panted as we parted, "This I could get used to."

"I just wish we had more time to experience it," Melodyne sighed into my shoulder.

"Don't worry. That's why I gave you this now, so we wouldn't be apart while I was away," I fondly ran my fingers through her hair. "Now, if you'll let your gallant knight get going on her quest, she has more soldiers to enlist to her cause."


	12. Chapter 12

My pager chose the opportune moment as I engaged the Epoch's engines to go off. I almost decided to ignore it- I had bigger things on my plate- but a voice from behind me advised me, "I would take that call, Miss Ashtear."

I swore a blue streak while simultaneously jumping out of my seat so hard I hit the canopy. Turning to face the intruder, I found the hawk-eyed man in the business suit who had mysteriously disappeared from Chronopolis the day I'd presented Melodyne to Belthasar. "_You!"_ I accused, "What are you doing in my-"

"Prepare for unforeseen consequences." He smiled enigmatically.

"Wha-?" I made the mistake of blinking, and then creepy-stalker-man was gone.

My pager continued to beep in the puzzled silence that followed. Reluctantly, I reached for it.

"Lucca!" Belthasar's voice came through. "The facility is under attack! All our research…" he mourned.

"Under attack? By whom?" I asked.

"Monsters. Off-worlders. I'm not sure...I've never seen anything like them before. They seem to be part human and part...something else. We've engaged aerial defence but it's only a matter of time before they enter Chronopolis itself. If you could manage to sneak inside and salvage any of your data, any at all…"

My data was already backed up on my console at home, but Belthasar was unaware of that. The narcissist was still obsessed with his dreams of immortality, of unlocking the secrets of time and inter-dimensional travel. "Is that all you care about any more? Data?" I seethed. "I tell you something, when I find that data I'll shove it up your-" I was interrupted by the sound of a distant explosion. Looking out to sea, I could see plumes of smoke rising over the waves.

Melodyne was pounding on the canopy. I opened it, and she jumped inside, yelling frantically, "We have to save Hope!"

"You got the page, too?" I asked.

"Yes. Now go, go!" she urged.

I didn't need to be told twice. Closing the canopy, I kicked the engines into high gear and banked out over the ocean.

It wasn't hard to pinpoint the source of conflict. A glowing blue portal had opened in the stormy sky, spilling an eerie light down on the terrifying scene below us. Combine ships, looking like enormous, hovering insects, were opening fire on Chronopolis' limited arial troops. The smaller jet fighters of my world were more maneuverable but simply lacked numbers, and one had gone down, opening a hole in the side of the facility and leaving it vulnerable for ground troops to invade. I saw dropships coming in to do just that.

Fortunately, years of training with guns of all types have made me an excellent marksman. The drop ships fell like stones into the waters below as I got them in my laser turret's sights. The remaining gunships, alerted to the new threat, began to converge on us.

"Melodyne, take the controls for a while," I instructed.

"But I don't know how to fly!" she protested.

"Just hold the joystick steady for a few minutes. That's all I need. Oh, and be prepared for a little wind chill."

"Wha-?"

I punched the canopy button, and her protests were lost in the sound of rushing air. I had to time this right, or it could blow up in our faces, literally.

_Closer, closer… _I thought as I harnessed the arcane forces I would need to pull my little stunt off. My hands began to heat up, glowing with fiery light.

The gunships were gaining, and so was my power. Filled to the brim with energy that set my hair standing on end and had me levitating a good foot above my seat, I unleashed a hellish inferno on the Combine with a triumphant shout. The fiery explosion rocketed outward from my fingertips with the Epoch at the epicenter, engulfing everything within range. I quickly slid back into the copilot seat and engaged the canopy as pieces of burning shrapnel began to fall from the sky.

"Whooo! Score one for the pyromaniac!" I crowed as the canopy clicked into place. Melodyne was staring grimly forward, jaw clenched, hands gripping the joystick so tightly that her knuckles were white.

"A little warning would be nice next time," she gritted from between her teeth.

"Awww, were you scared for me?" I teased, the afterglow of magic still burning in my veins.

"Does 'Oh God, Oh God, we're all gonna die,' qualify as 'scared?'" Melodyne snapped.

I sobered a bit. "Sorry. I can sometimes make rash decisions in the heat of battle." I placed my hands over hers and pried them from the joystick. "Wanna let me take over the flying again?"

She nodded stiffly and relinquished her hold.

Landing in what was left of the hangar, I found a concerned group of colleagues huddled around an inert form on the floor. Data files were strewn about the prostrate form, heaped on the floor and left to scatter on the breeze that filtered through the room. Drawing closer, I could make out the features of my mentor- my dictator- Belthasar.

"Lucca…" he breathed, catching sight of me. The crowd parted to allow me better access. It was then that I noticed the blood soaking his bright blue robes.

"How did this happen?" I demanded.

"Burning shrapnel. Falling from the sky," Belthasar made a ghastly, wheezing attempt at a laugh.

I'd done this. Indirectly, perhaps, but I'd done it all the same. I was responsible for his death. True, I'd thought he was a megalomaniac, but I'd never wished for him to die. The weight of what I'd committed dragged me to my knees. "Please," I begged. "Tell me how to make this right…"

"Lucca, my only regret was that I did not live long enough to participate in your grand experiment. Promise me…" He hacked, wrenching coughs that shook his whole body. "Promise me that you will continue to use your genius to better mankind. I pass Chronopolis into your care."

Melodyne, who had been searching for a medic, returned at that moment with one by her side. The medic knelt, scanned for vital signs, and then grimly pronounced, "He's gone."

One of the scientists who had been there to hear Belthasar's last words turned to me. "Miss Ashtear, what do we do now?"

My head was spinning. What _were_ we supposed to do? I was responsible for a facility and it's staff now, I couldn't just go leaping blindly off into the void on some suicide mission to retrieve the Flame.

Melodyne rested her hand on my shoulder. "I may not know how to fly, but I do have access to the personnel files and database for Chronopolis, should the new CEO chose to give them to me."

I mouthed a "Thank you," at her, and then announced to everyone within hearing radius, "As your new CEO, I promise to track down and neutralize this inter-dimensional threat. I will do so personally, meaning that my assistant, Melodyne, will be in charge in the meantime. All staff are to be on the lookout for inter-dimensional and temporal disturbances. Report them immediately to Melodyne if you notice any."

I took a deep breath and continued. "All of you were chosen because you are exceptional, brilliant, and outstanding in your fields. I believe that as we progress together into the future, we will not only have a better understanding of the obstacles that stand in our way, but be able to overcome them completely. Our genius, our drive, working as one, will better humanity and give it hope."

"So lets get moving, people! To the future!"

A few scattered cheers met my rallying speech, and people shuffled off to their various destinations. I bent and closed Balthasar's eyes. "I will keep that promise," I told him before the medics hauled him away.

I waited until I was safely in my own labs before I let the waterworks start. Hope really didn't help.

**I thought you were all **_**dead! **_she bawled, curling into a tight knot around my neck as soon as I laid my head on my desk and refusing to let go. **They called out the artillery and...and…there was a horrible explosion… and...**_**hggrrzzzt!**_ she gave a mechanical noise that was somewhere between a wail and a burst of static.

"Belthasar _is _dead. Lucca is the new CEO," Melodyne announced grimly. "Or at least, I am, until you two get back from your mission." As Hope balled tighter around my neck, she inquired, "Are you still sure you want to do this?"

**Of course I'm sure! I have to stop anything like this from happening ever again! **Hope was adamant. **I'm so- so **_**sick **_**of being leashed to the ceiling all the time and not being able to **_**do **_**anything!**

I dried my eyes with my neckerchief and gently pried Hope's chassis away from me. "Well then, we have some work to do. You can start backing up your memory, and in the meantime, we'll decide how you want to look. I'm assuming you don't want a male analoge?"

Hope recoiled in shock. **Ew, no! I'm a girl, thanks very much.**

"Good. Now that we have that established, how about your hair color?"

**Um, I don't know. What's Compy's hair color?**

"White," I informed her.

**Ugh, no, not white. That's too much like the ice I got stuck in. Too cold. It shut down my systems for years. What's a warm color?**

"Red," I blurted, and immediately regretted it. It brought back too many painful memories…

"_Crono, no, stop!" Marle cried out, reaching a bleeding hand toward him._

"_Crono, you're going to get yourself killed!" my scream echoed in the void, similarly disregarded._

_Crono, shielding himself from Lavos' energy with his own two hands, refused to look behind him. His body was already battle-worn, hence my concern, but there was much more at stake here. _

_Lavos horrendous mouth was gaping wide, preparing for another energy blast. It created a small vacuum that sucked us all in very slowly. Crono was about to break, I could see it. His unique magic was shielding all of us, but not for much longer. He was about to shatter, mind, body, and soul. A single, sorrowful tear ran down his cheek as he released his spirit, transporting me and Marle to safety. His body crumbled into the dust, unheeding of my last protests._

"_Crono no! Don't leave me, DON'T LEAVE ME!"_

_He's alive now, _I reminded myself sternly. _He_'s _alive and if you want to keep him that way you need to focus on the task at hand._

**...Not red? **came Hope's soft inquiry from the vicinity of my face. I went cross-eyed for a moment before I realized she was observing the tears pricking in my eyes.

"No, red is okay, if you like it…" I sighed and kneaded my forehead with my hands. "I just have death on the brain."

Hope mused for a moment. **What about pink? Pink is warm and happy.**

Melodyne laughed. "You want to go into a warzone with _pink hair?"_

Soon I was chuckling, too. "Beware this mad scientist's twisted creation, for it is warm and happy- yet deadly!"

Hope was properly offended. **Hey, just because I have pink hair doesn't mean I can't kick butt. Just give me a punk haircut or something.**

Melodyne laughed again. "One thing's for sure, Lucca. You're going to have the most unusual task force in the multiverse!"


	13. Chapter 13

With our mental bond successfully reestablished, my guilty habit had gone from watching Melody sleep to watching her dreams. More specifically, I had made it my routine to make sure that she fell asleep with good ones. She had chased away my nightmares before, and I would be on guard to make sure none disturbed her.

Influencing a sleeping person's thoughts can be a tricky business, however, and tonight, Melody hugged me just a bit too fondly as addled murmurs escaped her lips. Heightened respiration and blood flow to the pelvic area could only mean one thing- and I didn't have to peek into her head to know what it was.

Part of me was flattered, honored, even, that her subconscious would make the decision to offer that part of herself to me. The more rational part of me knew that this would lead nowhere but to frustration and brokenheartedness, as I could not- would not- allow myself to reciprocate.

So I closed my eyes and entered the dream, immediately finding myself straddling my partner and liplocked. The first order of business was to eliminate both of those situations. Sliding off to one side, I cradled her gently, waiting for her pulse to subside.

Dialogue is hard to communicate in dreams, so instead I simply took her left hand in mine. Running my fingers over the ring, I tried mentally reinforcing the commitments we had made to each other; the respect I held for her beliefs.

The message got through. Melody's breathing slowed, and a more focused look came into her eyes. She leaned forward to kiss me again, but this time, there were no traces of lust. Illuminating warmth seemed to spread through every fiber of my being as she sent three words to me, so simple, so overused, so trite, and yet so very appropriate: _I love you._

I awoke with the sudden realization that the kiss was, in fact, very real. Melody, her face inches from mine, was apparently coming to grips with the same fact, albeit much more slowly due to her groggy and confused state.

"Whhaaa-?" she drawled. "Was I kissing you in my _sleep?"_ Then suddenly her face turned red. "Oh Lord, did I do anything else? I'm so sorry-"

"Nothing else, _Cara Mia. _I only woke up just now," I assured her.

"Good, because I was having some pretty...uh...interesting dreams," she flushed again.

"It's okay," I assured her. "It's natural."

"It's _disgusting,_" she moaned. "I wish I didn't have a sex drive, like you." She turned away from me and curled into a tight ball of shame.

"Hey, now," I rubbed her back, trying to coax her out. "What you are doing is very brave- facing an attraction like that head-on and not letting it master you. So I'm going to tell you what you've told me a million times before: the guilt you're feeling about your personality doesn't matter so long as you continue to make good decisions from here on out. You've proved that you can be responsible for your actions, and that's all anyone can ask."

"Is that all _you_ ask?" she said in a very small voice.

"If you think I'm going to be repelled by something as routine as sexual arousal, you're wrong," I informed her. Anchoring my arms around her, I pulled my still balled-up companion into the curve of my body. "I hate to tell you this, but you're stuck with me," I added as I buried my face in her hair.

Gradually, as I timed my respirations to match hers, her breathing slowed, and she came uncurled from her ball. Snuggling up to me with a contented sigh, I could feel her sluggish REM cycles coming to life again. I did a mandatory check of the premises before falling into my own.

In my dream, stars floated in an inky black void. Empty, save for the droning chant that ebbed and flowed around me like ocean waves.

The waves of sound lapped at me, beckoning. I followed them through the myriad stars to a strange gathering of creatures. They were humanoid, with back-jointed legs and a hunched posture. Large red eyes dominated the center of their faces. Most incredibly, they seemed to be radiating a powerful psychic aura, one that even I could sense. It glowed in a brilliant indigo aura over their skins, rippling in time with their chanting.

One stepped forward to meet me. "Greetings, Compy. I am Uriah. We have met before, although perhaps you do not remember. The circumstances were not the most pleasant, and Chell was understandably upset."

This was the most lucid dream I could ever remember having. The dialogue was crystal-clear, and I even understood Uriah's reference to the past. "Yes, you were the one who told her to calm herself," I responded.

Uriah nodded. "Very good. You are here, and the others will be joining us shortly."

"Others?"

"Yes. Including your companion," Uriah gave what could have passed for a smile.

Indeed, wending her way amidst the cosmos now was Melody. She came running full tilt to me as soon as she saw me. "Compy! What- no, _who_ are these things? I get the feeling that they're friends, but I'm not sure how…"

"They don't look like any Combine I've encountered before," observed Lucca, choosing that moment to enter with Melodyne beside her.

"We are allies," Uriah hastened to assure them, "Here to discuss a threat common to all of us. For if the Combine do, indeed, gain the ability to control time, entire histories could be devastated. Holes would be ripped in the fabric of the Vortessence."

"Be more specific." Lucca directed. "Who exactly are you, and why do you care about the Combine invasion?"

"We are a race known as the Vortigaunt, formerly slaves to the Combine until the human Resistance freed us. Now we dedicate ourselves to the purposes of the Convergence and the Origin."

Melody shyly interrupted. "I'm sorry, but I don't understand. What's the Vortessence? I feel like this is going over my head."

Uriah made several short barking noises that could have passed for laugher. "Patience, young ones. Some of you are still new to the ways of the Vortessence, while others have been walking its paths your whole lives." His gaze roved from Lucca to Melody as he said this. "Others may find that they are more aligned to it than they may have thought at first." Uriah's large, red eye rested on me with this final statement.

"Vortessence is the life-force which binds us all together," Uriah clarified. "We are each woven in and of the Vortessence. Few can see it. But I sense there are nodes between you," and here he gestured to each of us in turn, "That would allow you to tap it, if you would but open yourselves."

"What do you mean, 'nodes?'" asked Lucca.

"Eyes that see through yours. Ears that hear. Hearts that feel with yours. You share deep bonds with these nodes of Vortessence; strong Vortal Cords bind you to the ones you care for."

"Whoa, buddy…" Lucca chuckled. "Those are neuro-transmitter chips I made, not some spiritual mumbo-jumbo."

"Ah, but these bonds were in place before the chips were made." Uriah corrected. "Melody, you were the connection, were you not?"

Melody flushed and tensed beside me. "I was. I could talk to both Compy and Lucca without the chips. But I'm on pills now, and…"

"Medications and technology are no barriers to what lies in our hearts. Empathy, compassion, forgiveness- extending oneself to another opens the passage for Vortessence to flow through. These are what you must practice if you are to succeed in your mission."

Lucca scoffed. "We're about to roll out into a warzone and you're preaching compassion?"

"Young one, you, most of all, will learn the value of these attributes as this final struggle with the Combine engulfs you. Do not scorn what you do not yet understand," chastised Uriah.

"But tonight, I would not dwell on such things. This gathering has been called together for the purpose of electing a new Keeper of Memory for the Convergence. That task rests with the central node, the bond that holds all of you together- Melody."

Melody shook her head. "I still don't understand. What's a Keeper of Memory, and what is the Convergence?"

"The Convergence is the place in the universe where the most Vortessence has gathered. Vortessence exists everywhere, spread from planet to planet like a giant web, but the Convergence is the nexus, the center. All things could one know, if they passed through the Convergence," Uriah intoned.

"And I'm to be a Keeper of Memory for the Convergence? What sort of memories am I keeping?" Melody asked.

"You are to keep the memories of the ones gathered here- these particular nodes connected to you. Do it however you wish- but make sure the truth of what is transpiring is recorded so that it may be preserved in the Origin. For as long as it is recorded, and not forgotten, it cannot be permanently erased."

"Are you saying that even if the Combine somehow managed to wipe out the timeline, we'd be granted immunity?" Lucca pursed her lips skeptically.

"If I am remembering correctly, you yourself implied that beings from the Origin have the power to change destiny." Uriah's hunched frame radiated amusement.

Melody, on the other hand, was radiating determination. "I'll do it. I'll do it for all of us."

"Very good. It is decided." The indigo aura emanating from the Vortigaunts extended out to engulf Melody briefly, then dissipated. "Go now, with our well-wishes, and remember what has been said here."

The stars around us flared in a halo of light, then vanished, leaving nothing but darkness. I awoke to the sound of Melody's alarm beeping on the nightstand.

"What a dream…" Melody moaned as she reached out to retrieve it.

"You're telling me," I retorted. "So, what's your first official act as Keeper of Memory?"

"Nothing spectacular."

"Oh?"

"I'm going to feed the Bird." She grinned at my deadpan expression, and declared, "Life goes on, Compy. Birds get hungry. Now get out of bed and start the day!"


	14. Chapter 14

I had thought the matter of mine and Compy's domestic partnership had been put aside, but in a Mormon singles ward, such a feat was nigh unto impossible. It seemed the entire purpose of such a construct was to get rid of your "single" status as fast as humanly possible. The majority of conversations at ward activities centered on relationships: who was dating, who liked whom, who would make a good couple. Church was no better; lessons and talks were focused mainly on marriages and families. It seemed the entire Mormon culture was constantly tormenting me with the fact that I would never move on from my currently undefined status.

That Sunday in Relief Society, sitting between Compy and Maddie, I mentally cringed as the teacher stood up and announced, "Today's lesson will be on having a healthy relationship with your spouse. I hope you all enjoy it!"

_What did I expect? A lesson on healthy same-sex partner relationships? _I thought sarcastically to myself. Compy, sensing my distress, draped an arm over my shoulders and probed gently, "_What's wrong?"_

"_Nothing," _I lied, fiddling with my...engagement?...promise?...ring. How exactly did one define mine and Compy's relationship anyway? I'd often told her that she was my companion, my partner. Would the culture we lived in accept our unique bond regardless of our genders or marital status?

Despite the obvious evasion, Compy did not try to probe any further into my thoughts. If I had only known that hers were following the same lines as my own, I would have done everything in my power to prevent the upcoming disaster.

When Maddie dropped us off at our apartment, she offered me a little pink envelope. "This is for you and Compy. It's an invitation to my and David's wedding reception," she offered by way of explanation.

Whilst my jaw dangled around the vicinity of my ankles, Compy had the grace to reply, "Congratulations! We'll be happy to come." If her smile had a somewhat plastic quality to it, Maddie didn't seem to notice, but drove off in a state of rose-tinged bliss.

"I...I had no idea they were even _engaged…"_ I stammered as I plopped down on the couch, still clutching the envelope.

"You haven't been paying attention to a lot of things lately," Compy stated. "You've had a lot on your mind with the war, our re-connection, and your new Calling. They've been engaged since…" She rapidly calculated on her fingers "Since the day Chronopolis was attacked for the first time."

"Is that how we measure time now?" I kneaded at my forehead. "Pre-attack, post-attack?"

"However you're measuring it, you should mark down that reception on the calendar. We wouldn't want to miss it," Compy declared.

"I don't _want _to go," I whined. "It's just an excuse to rub it in everyone's faces how great newly married bliss is."

"Oh, is that what it is? I thought it was an excuse to eat cake," Compy teased gently. "You could at least _try _to be happy for your friend."

"I suppose…" I sighed and tore the envelope open. "Friday, at the church at 7:00."

"Good girl." Compy patted my head. "Now, what chapter were we on in this infernal volume of scripture?" she asked, opening the Book of Mormon.

In the intervening days, I spent my time writing. Uriah had instructed me to keep a record of those connected to me, and if it was up to me to buy us all immunity from permanent erasure, I'd take that duty seriously. Besides, it was a good way to channel my pent-up anxiety into something productive.

The second part of my calling was to make sure that the record was remembered. That was going to be a bit more tricky. It wasn't exactly something that I could post on Facebook about. Fanfiction would only garner token fans, and Tumblr would, at best, lead to harsh critics and at worst, anon hate. So how memorialize my friends?

I was still puzzling over the question when Friday came. Compy dragged me away from the computer to put on a dress and makeup and hurry over to the church. I hardly recognised the cultural hall; transformed with swaths of soft, gauzy material draped over every surface and backlit with soft, translucent light. Tables were decorated with votive candles and sprays of baby's breath hung everywhere. The room was already crowded to capacity when Compy and I arrived. and I immediately began to feel uncomfortable as I always did around large crowds.

Clinging close to Compy, I waited in line to greet the bride and groom. Maddie looked resplendent in her wedding dress, and I hardly knew what to say to her. After this, I knew she wouldn't be coming to the singles ward any more. It may be a new beginning for her, but for me I was losing a friend.

"You look beautiful," I faked a smile as I hugged a beaming Maddie, trying desperately not to sound too forced.

"I'm so happy you could make it! Thanks for coming," Maddie replied.

Stepping out of line, I hurried over to an empty table and began to pick listlessly at the dish of mints. Compy, looking concerned, followed, only to be intercepted by a girl with shoulder length brunette hair. "Hi! I'm your visiting teacher," she announced with a grin. "My name is Leena."

Every woman in the singles ward was assigned to be a visiting teacher to another girl or group of girls. A visiting teacher visited their assigned girl once a month or more to share a spiritual thought, give help or advice, and just to be a friend. It was a system within my church that I really appreciated as I had made a lot of lifelong friends that way.

Compy's eyes flicked nervously to me. Leena, noticing the reaction, turned to me with a smile and said, "You must be Melanie. I'm visiting you, too. I'll send you guys a text sometime this week and we can make arrangements to get together. Sound good?"

"Sounds fine," Compy replied listlessly. Leena shot us a thumbs up and moved off through the crowd.

The sound of mic feedback cut through the air. As everyone groaned, a voice announced, "David and Maddie are going to cut the cake now, and then we'll have refreshments."

Everyone gathered around the couple as they poised the knife. I could just see between the sea of heads in front of me as first David, then Maddie, gently placed bites of cake in each others mouths to a round of applause. I joined in politely, then lined up for a slice of cake.

As I waited for my cake, the music for the couple's dance started. "Wise men say, only fools rush in…" crooned Elvis as Maddie and David took to each others arms, Up to this point I hadn't noticed that Compy was still sitting at the table, eyes fixed on the besotted couple as they swayed to the music. Suddenly I was hit by a wave of yearning and sorrow so strong it brought tears to my eyes. It didn't take a genius to figure out what was causing it. Leaving my place in line, I led a now sobbing Compy from the room and into the foyer.

I led her to the nearest sofa and fished tissues out of my purse, fighting back tears myself. "_We'll never get to dance like that," _she was thinking. "_We'll never, ever, get to dance like that. I do everything in my power to follow God's plan and I'll still never get to be with the one I love. I don't understand. How can you still believe in Him?"_

I may have had doubts about my ward. I may have had doubts about being accepted. But stronger than those doubts was a belief in what I knew to be true. My reply came flowing out of me almost like someone had hit a power switch, tentatively at first, then with more confidence as it went on.

__"_Compy…"_ I began, "_I believe because God sees the whole picture. His plan is so much bigger than what we can understand. Imagine one of your facility's panels trying to take on your old job. It couldn't possibly do it; it couldn't comprehend the magnitude of the whole thing. And yet," _I continued, "_God doesn't want us to be stuck like that panel forever. He wants us to become better. We are so much more than our limitations. I am more than a Mormon girl with same-sex attraction and you are so much more than some glorified super-computer stuck in an android chassis. Someday, we are going to take over and run the facility ourselves. That's what God has promised. That's his plan."_

Compy wrinkled her nose. "_So his plan is that eventually we'll understand everything?"_

I nodded. "_With time. It may not be until we reach heaven, but eventually, we will."_

Compy sighed. "_And what about in the meantime?"_

I pulled her close. "_In the meantime, think about this. I don't think Maddie can communicate with David on a tele-empathic level, or enter his dreams. I also don't think David has superhuman strength or intelligence or (at least in my humble opinion) beauty. So I think Maddie is the one who should be jealous."_

A sly grin crept onto Compy's tearstained face. "_Did you just say that I had superhuman beauty?"_

I flushed beet red in the dim foyer lights and spluttered incoherently, fumbling desperately for some reply that wouldn't make me sound like a blithering idiot.

As it turned out, I didn't need one, as Compy reeled me in and kissed me full on the mouth. I could taste her tears on her lips and for a moment I was unaware of everything but her embrace and the soft background music coming from the cultural hall:

"You lift my heart up when the rest of me is down,  
You, you enchant me, even when you're not around.

If there are boundaries, I will try to knock them down,

I'm latching on, babe, now I know what I have found.

Now I've got you in my space,  
I won't let go of you.  
Got you captured in my embrace,  
I'm latching onto you.

I'm latching onto you."


	15. Chapter 15

The first thing Hope did in her newly humanoid form was nearly strangle me to death. Out of happiness, just to clarify. She'd had an affinity for wrapping her chassis around my neck like a robotic scarf in her old form, so I suppose I should have expected no less from the vividly pink-haired young woman once she awoke from her transfer.

Between high pitched squeals, she exclaimed, "It feels so _good_ to have arms and legs! I can walk around; I'm not attached to anything, and I can pick things up and hold them and-" Her excited stream of babble continued unabated as I tried to detach her arms from my neck.

"Hope, humans need to breathe. It's kinda difficult to do with someone squeezing the life out of you," I pointed out.

"Sorry, I'm just so, so-" and here she let out another ecstatic squeal. She did, however, loosen her hold a fraction.

I used the opportunity to check my console. All the programming had downloaded to her systems successfully- hand-to-hand combat, firearms training, military tactics, even assassination techniques for good measure. In short, she was a lethal weapon- when she wasn't freaking out over the fact that she had arms and legs.

Melodyne interrupted my perusal to inform me, "We have an incoming transmission from the Origin."

Great, Just what I needed today. Another lecture from Miss Perfection. "Patch it through," I said morosely, still trying to calm down Hope.

As usual, Compy got straight to business. "Who," she asked, "is _that?"_ pointed to the still hyped-up Hope.

"Hi, Compy!" Hope waved at the screen. "Lucca gave me a new chassis 'cause I'm going on the mission with her and I can walk now and-"

"You did _what?!"_ Compy was incensed. "No. Absolutely not. Lucca, that would be tantamount to dragging a child onto the battlefield. I will not permit you to-"

"_I'm going."_ Hope said it with such finality that she cut Compy off mid-rant. "I'm sick and tired of being chained to the ceiling while my friends die around me. I want to _do_ something. Lucca has given me a home and a purpose and I'm going to fight for it, and you're not going to stop me from doing it."

"A home and a purpose…" repeated Compy. Suddenly her face crumpled. "A home and a purpose," she said again. "None of us are going to have those things if we don't do something to stop the Combine. I'm sorry I tried to stand in your way, If that's how you feel, then go." She turned away from the camera, swiping frustratedly at her eyes.

Hope's arms dropped from around my neck at Compy's sudden display of emotion. "Okay," I sighed, taking off my glasses and scrubbing at my own sleep-deprived eyes, "What did you really call about, Compy?"

"Lucca, I…that is to say...what I mean is..." She hissed and spluttered and swiped again at her now glistening eyes. "I believe I owe you...an apology."

I blinked. "Come again? Did I just hear what I thought I heard?"

She growled fiercely and turned on the camera again. "You know exactly what you heard, you insufferable-! Obviously your peace offering worked. And not just to your benefit."

"It doesn't look like it's benefiting you. You seem pretty upset," Hope observed.

"Sweetheart, sometimes you don't know what you were missing until you experience it firsthand. A renewed emotional connection with your partner, like your being able to walk for the first time- is something I've learned I can't live without." She paused to swallow a lump in her throat. "And yet, just as I am discovering how wonderful it feels to have this gap in my life filled in, the Combine are threatening to tear away this facet of my being. I'm not willing to give that up any more than you're willing to stand down." Compy's face hardened into a mask of resolve. "I'm here to offer my services, if you'll have me."

"What kind of services?" I asked tiredly.

Compy became agitated again, smacking her fist into the opposite palm. "I don't know! I'm just a fancy calculating machine, not a super weapon. I was hoping you'd have some ideas."

I was at an impasse. I had worked day and night trying to get Hope ready for the upcoming confrontation, and now Compy suddenly turned up on my doorstep offering...what, exactly? How did her presence on the team make a difference? How could I turn it to my advantage? I stretched a trembling hand to my coffee mug, only to realize it was empty. How long had I been running on nothing but caffeine and pure willpower? How long could I keep going?

Questions, too many questions, and not even the fancy calculating machine had the answers. I sat down in my desk chair, put the coffee mug down, and buried my face in my hands.

A pair of hands came to rest on my shoulders. Melodyne addressed Compy, "Lucca's been pushing herself to the breaking point trying to keep her promise to Hope. She needs some time before we can work anything out, but I'm sure we'd be happy to have you on the team."

Compy was obviously lost. "Hope? Promise?"

"Hope is my new name. It's what I want to give to the survivors of this war," Hope explained. "Lucca promised me that she'd give me a new chassis and programming so that I could fight for my home and friends."

There was silence for a long time. I closed my eyes, expecting the usual reprimand or smart remark. I was too tired to make any of my own.

Instead, Compy simply said, "Lucca, I'm sorry. For our bickering. For this stupid war. For all of this. "Get some rest," she advised, her voice surprisingly gentle. Then the transmission ended.

I laughed mirthlessly. "Rest? I wish. I'll rest when Belthasar pages me with news that attack was all staged and I can resign as CEO."

Melodyne fixed me with a concerned stare. "She's right, Lucca. You need some R and R, and you need it now, or you're going to break physically and emotionally. You've been pushed to the limit."

"But the facility-"

"If I recall correctly, you put _me_ in charge of the facility. And as acting CEO, I'm ordering you to take some time off. Now, is there any place special you want to go for your vacation?"

I thought of protesting, but didn't. "I just want to go home…" I muttered, taking off my glasses and dabbing at my eyes with my neckerchief. Home was simple, uncomplicated, a place apart from all this interdimensional crisis nonsense.

"Home it is, then." Melodyne planted a kiss on my forehead shut down my console.

Stars twinkled in a jet-black sky as the Epoch banked and landed on the beach of Ashtear Island, my family's home for as far back as anyone in Truce could remember. I could see the ramshackle house sprawled in the center like an architect's nightmare- additions and wings slapped on with no apparent regard to symmetry or order. In my parent's window, a light was burning.

As I stumbled up the steps to the front door, dad was already there, ready to scoop me up in a giant bear hug. "Bad day at work?" he asked, seeing my bloodshot eyes and slumped shoulders.

"Yeah, you could say that." I managed a half smile.

He spotted Hope and Melodyne. "Co-workers?"

I smiled conspiratorially. "Creations."

"My God," he breathed. "I'd heard rumors, but seeing it for myself-! Just think, my daughter, the first woman to create bio-synthetic life!" He slapped me on the back. "That's my girl!"

"Your girl," interrupted Melodyne, "is overworked and overstressed. I'd recommend she get to bed as soon as possible."

Dad's eyebrows went up in surprise, but quickly settled back into place. "Of course. Off to bed with you. And you two ladies?"

"We'll make our own arrangements, thank you." Melodyne informed him, following me upstairs.

It felt so good to be in my own bed again. I pulled the old faded coverlet I'd had since I was nine up to my chin and breathed in the familiar scent. I burrowed into the sheets, feeling the comfort of familiarity embrace me. I didn't even care when Melodyne and Hope crowded onto the tiny mattress. Small sighs escaped Hope as she experienced her first REM cycle, and Melodyne's soft caresses helped me find my own.

In my dream, I piloted the Epoch over choppy waters as Combine gunfire rained down around me. Lavos' eerie screams pulsed in counterpoint to the explosions and carnage surrounding me on every side. Suddenly, the open hangar gaped in front of me. In my sights was Belthasar, scrambling to pick up his precious data files, scattered by the updraft caused by the Epoch's arrival. The target scanner locked onto him, glowing bright red. My fingers were millimeters away from pulling the trigger when he looked up into my eyes. His eyes were the familiar blue of-

"Crono!" I bolted upright in bed to find the afternoon sun slanting through the curtains. I slipped on my glasses only to find Melodyne watching me. "You stayed?" I inquired.

"I wanted to make sure you got your rest." She smoothed my bangs away from my forehead. "You didn't sleep very well."

"Nightmares," I admitted tersely.

"Well, get some breakfast and then we can go for a walk. Maybe that will help you sort things out," she suggested.

During our walk, it was hard not to laugh at Melodyne's fascination with the seemingly mundane features of the town around us. "Is that really the mayor's house?" she would ask. "Is this actually Leene Square?" It was difficult to remember that she had only experienced this place as a video game when she was still Melody, the LMT.

"Yes," I smiled, amused at her obvious excitement. It felt good to be enjoying myself again, to see these sights through new eyes, as it were. Each familiar landmark became a new discovery with Melodyne by my side, to be experienced afresh.

"This," I said, waving my hands around the now empty venue, "Is where I used to show off all my old inventions."

"Like the tele-pod?" she asked breathlessly.

"In this very spot." I grinned at her open-mouthed goggling, wishing she'd been there to see it. I struck a pose and giggled my glasses impishly at an imaginary audience. "Ladies and gentlemen, step right up! It's the invention of the century, the Super Dimensional Warp, made by the one and only Lucca the Great!"

We both turned, startled, at the sound of someone applauding. A stranger wearing a hooded cape stepped from the bushes surrounding the square. Yet even the hood could not fully disguise his now overgrown crop of spiky red hair.

"Crono!" I cried, launching myself at him like a human torpedo. He caught me in midair, gave me a spin, and set me down, laughing. Just for a moment, looking into his smiling blue eyes, I could pretend that everything was okay again. That I had nothing to worry about. That there was no invasion. Then our conversation set everything slamming back into place again.

"Lucca, Guardia intell tells me that Chronopolis was attacked not too long ago and I find you showboating out here? I must have gotten my wires crossed." As my expression fell, he added, "At least, I hope I did. I learned that expression from you, after all."

"Crono…" I weighed my next words carefully. Crono was now the king of a kingdom that was recovering from a recent military invasion. His country couldn't withstand a thousand horsemen with drawn swords, never mind dropships and lasers. And yet...he had faced worse things during our time-traveling adventures. We had bested _death itself_ for heaven's sake!

As I struggled to articulate, Crono's arm came around my shoulders. This simple gesture of kindness, repeated so many times before in the past, brought my resolve tumbling down like a stack of kids blocks. Soon I was telling him everything, in between bouts of very unprofessional, very unladylike sobbing.

Crono absorbed it all without interrupting, then finally drew his conclusion: "I have to come with you."

"No, you imbicilic-!" I drew in a breath, and tried a different line of attack. "Haven't you been listening? This is an interdimensional crisis we're talking about, not just a threat to our planet. We've never dealt with anything like this before-"

"You said it was Lavos again, right? We've beaten Lavos before," he reasoned. "How hard can it be?"

"How hard can it be? _How hard can it be?!" _I practically screamed. "We had to bring you back from the dead last time, you asine jerk, and I am _not_ losing you again!"

I broke down completely at this point, howling like a wounded animal and beating uselessly at his unyielding bulk with my fists. Crono let me carry on until I was thoroughly exhausted, then said, "Trust me Lucca, I don't want any of my friends to experience that again. But what about you? I can't just let you go running off into the blue unprotected. The same thing might happen to you."

I drew a deep shuddering breath, and made a gut decision. "If you're really that worried about me, keep this safe," I said, pressing a small bundle into his hands.

"Lucca, what is this?" he said, peering curiously into the folds of cloth.

"My prototype time egg. Don't break it unless Melodyne tells you to," I instructed him.

"A time egg! You mean-?"

"Yes. If I die, you could go back to the past and bring me back to life. Theoretically, at least."

"Why didn't you tell me about this before?" He pressed

"I'm not even sure it will work. Belthasar died before he could show me how to complete it. And besides, I never needed it until now." I gave a nervous little hiccuping laugh.

Trumpets sounded in the distance, a royal fanfare. "That's my cue," said Crono ruefully. "Lucca- good luck. And both of you, stay in touch. Just because I'm royalty doesn't mean I don't care about what happened in the past- or what's going to happen in the future. Some things matter more than kingdoms." And with that, he was gone, slipping off into the brush.

Melodyne cradled me as sobs wracked my body anew. I wish I knew what it was about Crono that brought out the strengths- and the weaknesses- in me, but only time would tell if I'd made the right decisions today in Leene Square.

**A.N: This is long overdue for the Chrono Trigger fans, but obviously, this story is set post Chrono Trigger in the assumed "Ideal Timeline" for Chrono Cross. **

**The "Ideal Timeline" has always been pretty much guesswork as to how it would play out, so I've taken a lot of liberties in my writing. In this story, Guardia was overthrown by Porre, but Marle and Crono were not killed, and instead managed to take back the kingdom. Chronopolis still exists, as does El Nido, although Project Kid is obviously moot since the timelines have been unified. Schala is free from the Time Devourer and will not make an appearance in this story, and neither will Kid or Serge.**

**Lucca's home was not converted into an orphanage as it is in Chrono Cross, and don't worry, Lynx is not about to burn it down any time soon as he does not exist in the "Ideal Timeline." Basically, it's as if Serge has already done all the work and everything has gone back to normal, except we've just rewinded the tape a few years back. And then thrown the Combine into the mix :P**


	16. Chapter 16

"_Tick-thock!" _I clicked my tongue against the roof of my mouth and then smacked it against the floor of the same cavity. I repeated the action multiple times in a steady rhythm. "_Tick-thock! _ _Tick-thock! Tick-thock!"_

The Bird, silent up to this moment, suddenly took up the cant faster than even I could manage it. "_Tickthocktickthocktickthocktickthock!" _she declared with enthusiasm, bobbing her head up and down to emphasise her point.

"And that," I declared triumphantly, "Is how you get her to talk to you."

Compy glared at me with disgust. "I make that noise all day long and she never does it for me," she pouted.

"That's because you're only playing it through your speakers. She wants you to make it with your mouth," I retorted.

Compy sighed. "I can't get my tongue to do that- that _thing._"

"Poor baby," I crooned in mock sympathy. "Have I finally found something the omniscient supercomputer can't do?"

"You wouldn't be the first," Compy grated.

I abandoned the birdcage to sit next to Compy on the couch. "All right, what's eating at you? And don't make me go poking around in your head for the answer."

Compy's expression became very serious. Her gaze boring into mine, she took my hands in hers and asked, "Have I told you how much you mean to me?"

I wanted to laugh at the question. Compy made it perfectly clear on every occasion that presented itself just how much she valued our relationship. Her devotion knew no bounds- why would I ever question my worth to her? But with her eyes still locked onto mine, I only nodded and said, "Yes. Many times."

"Then you know I'd do anything in my power to protect you. In fact, Lucca made it one of my prime directives to keep you safe at all costs. It's written into my programming, and it infuriates me when I can't carry it out. Now, I find exactly that happening."

"The Combine are threatening to take away what I hold most precious, and what I now _want_ to protect voluntarily instead of being driven by mere protocol. I refuse to let that happen. That's why…" Her gaze faltered, falling from my own. She drew a breath, regained eye contact, and continued, "That's why I volunteered to be a part of Lucca's task force."

I scooted closer and laid my head on her shoulder. "My knight in shining armor.." I murmured. "Compy, I'm honored that you would do this for me. I just want to know, how do you plan on doing it? We're on the other side of the multiverse."

"That's just it- no one knows!" Compy growled in frustration. "I acted on impulse and called Lucca up, hoping she'd have some ideas. She'd made a new chassis for GLaDOS already, but that was only because she'd been pushing herself. She was suffering from extreme sleep deprivation and stress when I contacted her. She was far too burnt out to come up with any concepts for me."

She sat up suddenly and punched a fist into a throw pillow. "This is so frustrating, being stuck on the other side of the multiverse with no solutions!"

"Hey," I soothed, "Relax. It's not like you're stuck here _completely_. You can still send communications back and forth, right?"

"Right…" Compy acquiesced.

"So, if you could communicate with, say, a drone or something Lucca built for you, you could pilot it, right?"

"True," Compy perked up. But then her face fell. "I'm not sure if Lucca has time to build anything more, though. She's already spent most of her energy helping out GLaDOS."

"There must be something already lying around…" I mused. "Some robot she's built or some kind of vehicle-" I smacked myself in the forehead at this point. "Of course! The Epoch!"

"The _what?" _Compy was bemused.

"You could pilot the Epoch!" I cried, getting excited now. "Oh, Compy, that would be perfect!"

"I still have no idea what you're talking about."

"The Epoch is a time-traveling airship. You could provide surveillance and cover from the air when the troops are on foot, and quick transport from dimension to dimension."

"Assuming this thing _can_ cross dimensions," Compy pointed out.

"Does Lucca ever leave her back uncovered?" I retorted.

Compy made a face. "Touche."

"So, does that sound like a solution to you?"

"Depends on whether or not Lucca will let me touch her precious airship."

"Well, it never hurts to try. Just send her a message and ask," I suggested.

"Done," Compy smirked.

"I guess we can put this on the list of things omniscient supercomputers can do," I teased.

"With the help of their partners," Compy corrected, kissing me on the forehead. "Now, we just wait."

I spent the remaining time piecing together the past. I figured that if people were going to know the truth about our story, I should spend some time researching it. But how far back to go? Where did it all start? With my diagnosis? Perhaps. But writing about that meant that I would have to write about the Dark Voice. I sighed, and stared at my computer screen, willing leaden fingers to type. Sometimes writing my friends story forced me to confront problems I was facing in my own life, and I wasn't sure I had the courage at the moment to do that.

Warm hands fell on my shoulders. "It's okay," Compy whispered in my ear. "You don't have to fight it by yourself anymore."

"Compy…" I sighed. "You've been there. You know what it's like. I had Lucca reprogram you so that you would never have to feel that again. I don't want you getting hurt again." I choked on the last few words.

"But now I have something worth protecting, and because I've been there, I'm not afraid of what I might have to face. If it means you're safer, I don't mind. I have the chance to do something selfless, something brave, like you did for me." Compy cradled my head in her arms.

I shook my head in protest, but Compy held me tighter. "All your life you've had to face this on your own. You told me that partners share each other's burdens. Would you go back on your own words? Please, let me do this for you."

"You do everything for me," I protested, half sobbing, half laughing.

"I could say the same for you," she replied.

"I don't guard your sleep all night. I don't join rebel armies. I don't-"

"You're only human. I wouldn't expect you to. But you are the one person who loves me and accepts me for who I truly am. Should we put that on the list of things mere human girls can do?"

"With the help of their companions," I whispered, and taking her hand from my shoulder, kissed it. 


	17. Chapter 17

I left Truce reluctantly, but with newfound confidence. If Crono could face the future and the unknown with no more guarantee than his bravado, his friends, and the fragile shell of an enigmatic egg, then who was I to cower in the face of danger? Besides, I had my promise to Belthasar to keep. Banking off the shore of Ashtear island, I headed out to sea.

The day was clear and calm, with no indication of the chaos that had happened so recently. All that remained to remind me of that terrible day were the rift in the sky and the gaping hole in the hangar. It was my intention to patch up both- starting with the portal.

As logged into my console in the labs, the first thing to come up was a message from Compy. I squinted at it suspiciously. Had she thought better of her idea to join the retrieval squad? As I read through it, my jaw nearly hit the desktop. I began to make involuntary spluttering noises. Melodyne, alarmed, hurried over and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Compy wants to be integrated into the Epoch. She says it would be a distinct tactical advantage to have aerial coverage while the troops are on foot."

"Well, wouldn't it?" Melodyne wondered. "You'd be able to pull off that stunt with your fire magic, too, without anyone else piloting the ship."

"But this is the _Epoch_ we're talking about!" I protested. "It's capable of time and inter-dimensional travel, armed with laser turrets, outfitted with the latest technology-"

"And you don't want to hand it over, do you?" Melodyne pressed. When I fell silent, she said, "I thought so. Look, Lucca, I know you and Compy have had your differences, but you need to set them aside now. You both face a common threat, and you can't handle it if you're always at each other's throats. You have to trust her for once. Remember what Uriah said?"

I sighed and massaged my forehead. "I could quote it verbatim, if you want. ' Empathy, compassion, forgiveness- extending oneself to another opens the passage for Vortessence to flow through. These are what you must practice if you are to succeed in your mission.'"

"And?" Melodyne pressed further.

"'Young one, you, most of all, will learn the value of these attributes as this final struggle with the Combine engulfs you.'" I groaned. "So some psychic alien wants me to quit sparring with Compy. He could have just said it straight out instead of speaking in riddles."

Hope spoke up. "The alien's not the only one. I think you should trust Compy with the ship. She trusted you with me, after all."

I rested my eyes on Hope, her short crop of spiky pink hair belying her true capabilities. Compy had placed a great deal of faith in me when she had sent me her sister machine. I'm sure she could have just told Hope to teleport to some other location; heck, if she felt like it, she could have even made a last-ditch attempt to bring her to the Origin. The technology had been in place for it, and the location had been right. Instead, Compy had chosen to put Hope in my hands.

I shook my head in surrender, laughing wryly. "One snarky airship coming right up."

"_Click."_ I honestly didn't know how humans managed it- making these absurd noises with their mouths. And I honestly didn't know why I was attempting to duplicate them.

"_Click,"_ The Bird responded demurely.

"_Click," _I repeated, smacking my tongue against the roof of my mouth.

"_Click," _The Bird, apparently amused by the game, replied in turn.

"Enough," I declared. "You win this round. I can't make that noise any more."

The Bird responded with a long, drawn-out smooching noise.

"Don't think you can butter me up. My tongue is worn out. Practice is done for the day."

"Is that what you call it- practice?" Melody teased from the doorway.

"What else would you call it?" I asked.

"Oh, I don't know- bonding?"

"You think I _like _this little animal?" I feigned innocence.

"Only about as much as you like me," she replied.

"You're wrong."

"Oh?"

"I like you much, much more," I purred as I drew her close to me and rested my chin on her head.

"Any news from Lucca?" she asked, fingers idly tracing the port on the back of my neck.

"I...haven't checked." I muttered.

Her fingers stopped their tracing. "You're scared, aren't you?"

Uneasiness set in. "Scared of what?"

"Scared that she'll reject your idea and you'll be defenseless. Scared that she'll say yes and you'll have to commit to this war."

My eyes widened in shock. I hadn't meant to transmit these fears to my partner and yet, here she stood, confronting them with me.

"Compy," Melody whispered, "it's okay. This is a major decision on your part, and-"

"But you were never supposed to know!" I exclaimed. "How did you know I was afraid?"

"Empathy is what first connected us and what will always connect us. You can't avoid it, Compy, and you shouldn't have to protect me from your own emotions. I'm here to support you, remember?"

"You shouldn't have to feel my fear. What if I'm in the heat of battle, and something awful happens, and-"

"Then I stand beside you and comfort you."

"No!" I protested. "My job is to protect you. I joined Lucca's army specifically so that you would be spared any pain. I will not have you carrying battle scars because of me."

"Then how am I supposed to record my friends stories?" she retorted. "How am I supposed to protect _you?_ How am I supposed to fulfill my duty as Keeper of Memory if I have no memories to keep?" As I drew in breath to reply, she barreled on. "Uriah said that empathy and compassion will be keys to winning this war. I can't show those things without some reciprocation on your part. Please don't try to withdraw from me when we need each other the most."

"You are willing to face the Dark Voice for me. I am willing to face your fears as well."

I stared down at Melody. Her body was tense in my arms, her hands balled into fists of determination. Her eyes radiated an intensity that I wouldn't have believed could come from such a mere speck of a girl had I not been experiencing it firsthand through our mental connection. She had meant every word she had said.

Like it or not, it looked as though Melody was joining this war in her own way as well. I had hoped she could stand by the sidelines and just observe, yet Uriah's designated "central node" was being drawn into things simply because of her bond with me.

I sighed in defeat. "Promise me one thing."

"Yes?"

"Whatever we face, we face it together."

Her body relaxed against mine as our lips met. "_Together,"_ she promised mentally as she reinforced it with a kiss.

I lay locked in Compy's embrace, bodies and minds intertwined, physically in the Happy Valley of Utah but mentally worlds away. The Epoch's engines rumbled as Compy engaged them in preparation for takeoff. She was both thrilled by the power she now controlled and anxious about the responsibility she now carried. Millions of calculations and subroutines sailed by faster than my human mind could grasp- checks on all the parts of the machine she controlled.

"Well, this is it," Lucca declared from the pilot's seat. "I'm handing control over to you, Compy. Take us out."

Hope, sitting next to her, grinned excitedly. "Frozen Flame, here we come!"

Compy responded through the speakers, with a vipers smile only I could see, "Indeed."

The Epoch's twin burner flames burst into life with a roar as it sailed toward the rent in the sky, and toward the destiny of the multiverse.


End file.
